Government launches clean power action plan

The Government has unveiled what it describes as the most ambitious reforms to the country’s energy system in a generation.

Setting out plans to achieve the target of clean power by 2030, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said the measures would make Britain energy secure, protect consumers from energy price spikes, reindustrialise the country with thousands of skilled jobs, and tackle the climate crisis.

The steps include cleaning up a “dysfunctional” grid system by prioritising the most important projects, speeding up planning decisions by empowering officers to prioritise critical energy infrastructure, and expanding the CfD renewable auction process.

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said: “The clean power sprint is the national security, economic security, and social justice fight of our time - and this plan gives us the tools we need to win this fight for the British people.”

However, Kate Mulvany, Principal Consultant at Cornwall Insight, said the announcements left “critical questions unanswered”, citing the lack of clarity around electricity market reforms.

The Government said it aims to conclude policy development on its Review of Electricity Market Arrangements (REMA) by around mid-2025 before moving into implementation of final decision making.