Event Recap: The Road to Clean Power by 2030
The Net Zero APPG’s session, The Road to Clean Power by 2030, brought together Parliamentarians, industry leaders, and policy experts to discuss the critical steps needed to accelerate the UK’s transition to clean power.
With the Government’s 2030 clean energy target fast approaching, the discussion focused on how to turn ambition into action, identifying key pinch points that must be addressed to achieve a fully decarbonised electricity system.
Key Issues Identified
🔹 Grid Bottlenecks: The UK’s electricity grid lacks the capacity to support rapid renewable expansion. Long delays in project connections and uncertainty over grid upgrade funding remain major barriers. More strategic planning and investment are needed to accelerate connections.
🔹 Planning Barriers: Onshore wind and solar projects remain tied up in slow and complex planning processes. Reform is essential, but it must balance speed and regulatory oversight. Judicial reviews and environmental regulations were highlighted as major blockers.
🔹 Investor Confidence: Uncertainty around regulation, funding mechanisms, and market structures is slowing investment in clean power. Clear, long-term policies are needed to de-risk projects and unlock capital.
🔹 Energy Pricing Challenges: The current system does not always prioritise the cheapest, cleanest power or incentivise demand flexibility. Calls were made for transparent pricing signals and reforms to the Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme to decouple renewables from gas prices.
🔹 Storage and Flexibility: Without sufficient battery storage, interconnectors, and demand-response solutions, the UK risks generating more renewable power than it can effectively use. Expanding grid flexibility and energy storage technologies is crucial.
Industry and Policy Insights
- Kirsten Oliver (WSP) highlighted the significant policy progress since July, including the lifting of the onshore wind ban, the formation of NESO, and the publication of Clean Power 30. She stressed that a mission-driven approach is needed, with £40bn annual investment over the next six years.
- Sulaiman Ilyas-Jarrett (DESNZ) emphasised the need for long-term certainty for investors and highlighted CfD reforms as a key tool for decoupling renewables from volatile gas prices.
- Professor Aaron Gillich (LSBU) raised concerns that poor communication around Net Zero is leading to a public perception of high costs rather than focusing on the economic and societal benefits of clean power.
- Tristan Zipfel (EDF Renewables UK & Ireland) underlined the urgent need for grid investment and planning reform, stressing that projects must be prioritised and connected faster to meet Net Zero targets.
Parliamentary Perspectives
- Lizzi Collinge MP called for nuclear to be considered as part of the long-term energy mix beyond 2030.
- Pippa Heylings MP warned that post-2030 electricity demand will rise significantly and that energy efficiency measures, particularly for vulnerable households, must be prioritised alongside clean power generation.
- Simon Opher MP called for faster approvals for community energy projects, noting that onshore wind bans have slowed progress unnecessarily.
Looking Ahead
As the UK approaches the 2030 clean energy milestone, government, industry, and investors must align on practical solutions to unlock progress. The Net Zero APPG will continue to work across Parliament and industry to push for the decisive action needed to accelerate the transition and secure the UK’s clean energy future.
For more details on the session, please contact the Net Zero APPG Secretariat.
