Ed Miliband said the Labour Government will take on “the blockers, the delayers, the obstructionists” to clean power projects during a speech at an Energy UK conference.
“Every wind turbine we block, every solar farm we reject, every piece of grid we fail to build makes us less secure and more exposed,” he said.
“Previous governments have ducked and dithered and delayed these difficult decisions, and here is the thing: it is the poorest in our society who have paid the price.”
Miliband said Chris Stark, formerly of the Climate Change Committee, has been appointed within the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) to “bring together the relevant players across government and industry to plan and deliver”.
“The task I have given Chris is to set out a plan for 2030 clean power, at least cost to billpayers and taxpayers, maximising the economic opportunities for Britain.
“So as a first step, Chris and I have asked the Electricity System Operator, the NESO, to provide advice on the pathway to 2030 clean power, including where infrastructure should be sited, to maximise speed and minimise costs.”
Head of science, policy and research at Friends of the Earth Mike Childs said: “Friends of the Earth analysis has shown we could produce 13 times more energy from onshore wind and solar farms in England, while protecting landscapes such as national parks and areas of outstanding natural beauty.
“Opinion polling shows that most people support wind and solar, so while communities must have a voice in planning decisions and should directly benefit from clean energy projects, we can’t allow the voices of a minority to block necessary developments.
“With devastating flooding hitting Europe this week, there is an urgent need to take action to prevent the worse of climate breakdown and boost energy security, this means the UK must get building the clean, green energy infrastructure that is essential to growing the economy and creating thousands of new, long-term jobs.”
UKSIF chief executive James Alexander added: “The rapid transition away from fossil fuels is a vital opportunity to attract private capital to grow the economy.
“However, the UK’s grid capacity is a major barrier: almost half (44%) of energy companies have faced challenges securing a grid connection when investing here.
“Resolving this – alongside streamlining planning and providing long-term certainty on government support mechanisms – could unlock £115bn in additional, private investment into the UK’s energy transition, creating high-skill jobs, lowering energy bills, and boosting energy security.”