A sharp decline in the cost of renewable energy generation means that Britain should aim to meet two-thirds of electricity needs by 2030 through renewable sources, according to research commissioned by the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC).
The study, carried out by Aurora Energy, says the UK could make significant progress towards its net-zero greenhouse gas emissions target if the rights steps are taken.
The analysis reflects the impact of the falling cost of renewable electricity technologies and the relative speed with which they can be built, said the NIC.
As a result, the NIC has updated its recommended target for the use of renewables in a low-cost, low-carbon electricity system from 50 per cent to 65 per cent by 2030.
Private investment, which could provide confidence in the economy as it recovers from COVID-19, could be encouraged through shifts in government policy to support more renewable electricity schemes.
“The government has made a number of positive commitments on renewables deployment. The ambition to deliver 40GW of offshore wind and the re-opening of Pot 1 contracts for difference auctions for onshore wind and solar will deliver significantly increased deployment rates of renewables. Achieving 65 per cent renewable generation by 2030 can be done if ambitions are realised through an active push from government to generate the private sector investment needed,” finds the Renewables, Recovery and Reaching Net Zero report.
The government should be credited for recent steps to encourage quicker deployment of renewables, and for setting up successful mechanisms for encouraging private sector investments. These latest projections suggest we can afford to go further, faster without hitting consumers in the pocket.
The National Infrastructure Strategy needs to include a long-term policy on future energy that reflects these facts and helps deliver the green recovery we all want to see.
Sir John Armitt, Chair of the NIC.
We welcome this research and echo the need to rapidly move towards expanding our national renewable energy capabilities. Currently, we are working on an ever-increasing number of projects that utilise renewable energy and are excited to see the sector moving in the right direction.
With such as vast range of experience, no planning consultancy is better suited to tackle the issues surrounding climate change and moving towards zero-carbon as we are. We are happy to work with local authorities, developers and private clients to ensure that all elements of the planning process make the essential impact to meet the Government’s target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050.
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