“Companies are now committing to building offshore wind farms in UK waters that will generate power at prices well below new gas-fired power stations, this was unthinkable just a few years ago.
The extraordinary reductions in the price of offshore wind are the result of public policy. Government working in partnership with the private sector on a long term plan, alongside an industrial strategy to create high skilled jobs. What is needed is the same commitment, strategy and industrial partnership applied to other areas low carbon technologies where the UK could equally become world leaders.
Today’s climate strike is a reminder that we face a climate crisis that demands urgent action across the economy. By releasing the results of the auction for offshore wind support today the government has reminded us both what a coherent public policy framework can achieve and how far away we still are from having such a framework to fully address our carbon emissions in other areas of the economy.
The UK has led the world with our legislative commitment to net-zero emissions. What we lack is a strategy to deliver this goal. The lesson from a decade of developing the offshore wind sector is we need the same coherent public policy framework to enable private sector innovation on other key issues such as the switch to electric cars, making our houses far more efficient and decarbonising our heating.”