The National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) has stressed
that the UK could meet half its power demand from renewables by 2030, and urged
the government to ditch new nuclear plans as a result.
The recommendation, included within a wider National
Infrastructure Assessment – the country’s first, has been made by the NIC
amidst other suggestions relating to electric vehicles and the wider energy
mix.
Citing its own modelling, the NIC has said that the UK could
derive 50% of its power from renewable sources by 2030, but only if it embraces
the “golden opportunity” that has been presented by low-cost options.
It further recommends that the government reinstate low-cost,
established technologies such as solar and onshore wind to renewable auctions
as soon as possible. Doing so would enable the UK to transition to a low carbon
energy system by 2050 without increasing household bills in real terms.
In doing so, the UK would displace the need for new nuclear.
The NIC recommends that the government abandon the pursuit of nuclear stations
beyond those that it has already committed to, including Hinkley Point C and
Wylfa Newydd.
Sir John Armitt, chairman at the NIC, said: “If we act now
we have a golden opportunity to make our country greener, and protect the money
in the pockets of consumers long into the future – something few of us expected
to be able to do.
“Ministers can seize this chance by investing in renewables
and other low-carbon technologies so they become the main players in our energy
system – something that was considered a pipedream as little as a decade ago.
But they need to act now to realise the full potential of what can be
achieved.”
The NIC’s recommendations bear striking similarities to
those of the Committee on Climate Change, which last month issued its progress
report to government stressing
the need for urgent action.
Also on the list of recommendations from the NIC is a more
ambitious decarbonised transport initiative, most notably an aim to sell only
electric vehicles by 2030.
That recommendation comes just a day after the government’s
own Road to Zero strategy, which did not bring forward its 2040 phase out of
conventional vehicles despite increasing calls to do so, was criticised for
lacking ambition.
Today’s NIC assessment has nevertheless been broadly well
received.
Fabrice Leveque, senior policy manager at Scottish
Renewables, said the conclusions should not be a surprise.
"Building a low-carbon energy system centred on
renewables like solar and onshore wind would not only reduce consumer energy
bills, it would also reflect public opinion which is strongly in favour of
renewables.
"The UK government should follow Scotland’s lead and
aim to create an energy system high in renewables, harvesting the benefits of
our clean, green energy resources."
Matt Rooney, engineering policy adviser at the Institution
of Mechanical Engineers, agreed that the government needed to stop “putting up
barriers” to new onshore wind and solar farm development.
But Rooney was in disagreement with the report’s conclusions
on nuclear. “The NIC report itself highlights the uncertainty in any modelling
that projects decades into the future, and effectively throwing away one of the
best options we have for low carbon electricity would be a mistake.
“The NIC admits that ‘no country has yet built an
electricity system with very high levels of variable renewables’, yet is
willing to take the risk of recommending such a strategy,” he said.
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