The UK government must consider reintroducing auctions for onshore wind if it is to meet 2030 carbon emission reduction targets, according to the Climate Change Committee (CCC).
The committee, which advises the government on reaching climate goals, said in a series of reports released today that, while effective policy for low-carbon electricity generation has been developed, more needs to be done.
No Contract for Difference (CfD) auction has taken place since 2015 and none are planned for the cheapest renewable technologies – onshore wind and solar – CCC said.
It added that funding for offshore wind out to 2025 together with the contract signed for the new nuclear plant at Hinckley Point would only provide one-third of the low-carbon generation needed in the 2020s to meet carbon reduction goals.
Therefore, “the government should sign more contracts for low carbon power in the 2020s consistent with reducing emissions intensity to below 100gCO2/kWh by 2030”, including considering auctions for onshore wind, solar and sustainable biomass, the committee said.
New policy is also required on carbon capture and storage, with the CCC saying currently the country has no strategy to deploy the technology following the cancellation of the Commercialisation Programme in November 2015.
“A new strategic approach is needed based around ‘clusters’ in areas of industrial activity and with separate support for shared CO2 transport and storage infrastructure,” the committee said.
More also needs to be done to encourage low-carbon heating in buildings and low-carbon transport, CCC said.
RenewableUK deputy chief executive Maf Smith said: “The CCC is right to highlight the fact that new auctions for low-carbon contracts can help drive down the cost of people’s electricity bills.
“When it comes to putting the consumer first, onshore wind deserves a clear route to market, as it’s the cheapest way to generate new power.”
In response, the government said in a separate report that it would auction 15-year CfDs during this parliament, with an initial auction offering support of up to £290m for offshore wind and other less established renewable technologies.
It added that plans for “mature technologies”, such as onshore wind and solar, would be set out in “due course”.
The government has previously agreed with the CCC that the country’s fifth carbon budget covering 2028 to 2032 should be 1725 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent, which would require a 57% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions below 1990 levels.
Image: Free Images
CCC calls for onshore auctions
Cheapest clean energies require route to market says advisory panel
By EBS