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The government must listen to the Climate Change Committee (CCC) and adopt policies to accelerate the decarbonisation of the electricity sector, energy analysts have said. In a report released Thursday, the CCC said a renewable-dominated power system can be achieved by 2035, but the government must remove planning and regulatory hurdles to allow investors to take advantage. A renewable energy chief says companies, investors and consumers are "eager" to get to net zero.
Nigel Pocklington, Managing Director of Good Energy, said: “The only obstacle to a carbon-free electricity system is a disinterested government that has never recognized the urgency of the climate crisis and has been slow to implement good policy to unleash a renewable system. . revolution. in Great Britain.
“That's why we continue to rely so heavily on expensive and polluting fossil fuels, whose volatile prices have caused such severe problems for homes and businesses across the country.
“The government must unlock investment in cheaper and greener energy sources, unlock the barriers to onshore wind, and help pave the way for flexible storage and demand shifting, as well as take the issue much more seriously. broader energy efficiency, if we want to have a realistic prospect of reaching net zero.
Decarbonizing the power sector, the CCC said, would pave the way for other industries to follow suit by supplying them with electricity generated from renewable sources.
They also said that reducing Britain's reliance on gas imports would make the country less vulnerable to international price volatility.
Jess Ralston, energy manager at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, said: “There is a huge opportunity to invest in a cleaner, cheaper electricity system that is not being swept away by international gas markets, but the government needs a clearer plan for investors to pile up.
"The additional costs involved in balancing a renewable energy grid are minimal, especially compared to the cost of gas-fired electricity."
Other analysts praised the CCC's endorsement of heat pumps and its recommendation that the government should invest in "low-regret" hydrogen technology, which will remain relevant in a decarbonized energy system.
Professor David Cebon, an engineer at the University of Cambridge and a member of the Coalition for Hydrogen Science, said: “How much more evidence do we need that hydrogen should not be used to heat homes?
“This latest UK-led analysis by the CCC joins the ranks of 37 other independent studies showing that hydrogen is not a viable decarbonisation solution for households.
"This analysis should be a wake-up call to the UK government, which continues to push for trials of hydrogen villages, despite a clear consensus from independent experts that it will play a very limited role in a zero-emissions world." net".
The government is currently planning a trial, led by the gas networks, in which between 1,000 and 2,000 properties will heat their homes with hydrogen instead of natural gas.
Jan Ronseaw of the Regulatory Assistance Project, an energy NGO, said: “The CCC report is another example of independent research that reinforces the fact that hydrogen is unlikely to play a significant role in heating our homes.
"For home heating, a major use of fossil gas today, there are better and cheaper alternatives such as heat pumps, district heating and energy efficiency."
“Basically, the [CCC] report highlights that the UK is currently a long way from producing large amounts of clean hydrogen.
“With fossil gas prices rising, expensive blue hydrogen produced from fossil gas is the most likely option to fill the supply gap if the UK uses hydrogen to heat the home. This would further compound the rising cost of energy prices in the UK.
Lawrence Slade, chief executive of the Energy Networks Association, the industry body, added: "If we are to meet government decarbonisation targets, secure energy investments in an increasingly competitive global market and protect energy security at long term for customers, then the government needs to act faster now.
“The CCC report makes it clear that the solution to this challenge must involve both gas and electricity, but political progress is lacking.
"While we welcome the CCC's assessment of the importance of hydrogen storage and transportation infrastructure in decarbonization, we need to see rapid progress on renewables and hydrogen deployment to achieve the 2035 target.
"Grids are ready to invest, innovate and deliver, but a lack of political action risks stalling decarbonisation."
PA wire
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