The Chancellor’s Autumn Statement contained a number of new measures that will impact the clean energy sector. Read below for an initial response from the Regen team.
Responding to the clean energy measures included in the Autumn Statement, Merlin Hyman, CEO at Regen, commented:
The Autumn Statement contains some important measures to support investment in sustainable power. We particularly welcome the decision to exclude new projects from the Energy Generation Levy – something we have been calling for since it was introduced.
We also welcome the focus on getting the grid ready for net zero with the announcements on accelerating transmission investment, community benefits and a Connections Action Plan. Building on the positive recent announcements on the next annual round of the Contracts for Difference scheme for offshore wind projects, these are positive steps towards attracting investment into clean power in the UK.
There is, however, little in the statement to support energy efficiency and decarbonisation of our homes and businesses. Until we upgrade the UK’s leaky building stock, households will continue to have high energy bills and the UK will fail to meet our carbon emissions targets. The Prime Minister’s recent decision to remove requirements on landlords to provide energy efficient housing has only made this worse.
Responding to the government’s plans to support community benefits for network infrastructure, Rebecca Windemer, Planning and Communities Lead at Regen, commented:
Investment in energy transmission infrastructure is essential to the UK’s net zero and energy security targets. We, therefore, welcome the government’s commitment to ensure communities who are hosting this infrastructure reap the benefits.
We are pleased that communities are being given an opportunity to receive wider community benefit funds as well as energy bill discounts. However, we urge the government to provide best-practice guidance and support to ensure communities are aware of these opportunities and can make informed decisions on what forms of benefits are most appropriate for them – ensuring that decisions reflect the wider community, not just the most vocal members