Blue sky thinking – cut the red tape and turn policy on its head
As we pass the halfway point in 2019, the scorecard for UK energy policy is mixed. Optimists can point to rapid emissions reductions, cost falls in renewables and the centrality of clean energy within the Industrial Strategy. Ten years after the Climate Change Act was passed, UK greenhouse gas emissions have fallen by 43%. The UK is on the way to meeting its first three carbon budgets, and a transformation of the power sector is well underway.
However, if we turn our attention away from the rear view mirror, the outlook is possibly more pessimistic. There are an increasing number of policy gaps and uncertainties and, if not addressed promptly, meeting future carbon budgets will be much more challenging. For some of these gaps, there is a particularly clear and immediate economic case for action.
Due to regulatory changes, the sector’s future is therefore by no means secure. However, given a blank sheet of paper, what changes would we make? What policy has delivered excellent results and what has not? How could we change policy to make a real, tangible difference? What about policy taxes? Transmission costs? The list goes on.
In this episode, we discuss past, present and future energy policy with Dan Connor, DSR Development and Delivery Manager, npower Business Solutions, Energy HQ and Caroline Bragg, Senior Policy Manager, the ADE. Given a clean slate, we challenge them both to describe the ideal scenario.
