The government lack appetite and ambition for a real energy strategy

The UK lacks ambition and a real strategy to move onto renewable Energy. The current government have little appetite for the renewable sector and lack any real ambition to move the UK’s energy needs into the 21st century. The EU set a target that the UK must meet 15% of energy to be provided by Renewables by 2020. But after several questions posed by Jim Cunningham MP, it became apparent that they only plan to do what they must.

Current trajectories do predict that the UK will meet this target of 15% renewable energy by 2020, but with investment slowing, there is a chance that it could be missed.

Lack of substance

Labour MP, Jim Cunningham, posed several questions to Conservative MP, Jesse Norman, who is the Parliament Under Secretary of State at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). Both of which lacked any real substance in the answers. The first question was a statement on the likelihood of the UK failing to meet the 2020 target of 15% energy from renewables.

To which Norman replied that the UK is currently in line with meeting those targets, citing the Renewable Energy Directive’s interim targets being met in 2011/12 and 2013/14. With little mention of 2012/13 and that the sector was better funded during those periods.

The second question was an estimate of what percentage of energy will come from renewables each year until 2020? But the answer was a repeat that the UK will reach the EU target of 15%. The answers underline that the Conservative government have little appetite for real change, they don’t wish to invest in the renewable sector.

Regressive nature of the Conservatives

They have placed taxes on the solar industry during a period where they are likely to become the cheapest form of electricity, with the sector accusing the government of trying to kill them off and the Conservative 2015 manifesto pledged to “end onshore wind farms”. Theresa May axed the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) with the roles subsumed within BEIS and the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).

With little ambition shown and answers prove that they are only planning to do what they must, it is a concern that without EU regulation, the current government could cut funding entirely, in favour of economically and environmentally fragile projects such as fracking and nuclear. The era is in need for real progression onto long-term energy solutions with the UK government lacking ambition and appetite for change.