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LABOUR’S ENERGY ‘BLITZ’ IS IT GREEN FOR GO?
It has been described at Labour’s clean energy policy “blitz”. The new government swept into Westminster with a raft of announcements on the back of its landslide general election win.
Setting up GB Energy, lifting the de facto ban on onshore wind and halting new licences for North Sea oil drilling indicated a firm desire to push net zero towards the front of the new administration’s key priorities.
The approach is proving popular with the public. In August a poll of more than 2,100 people by YouGov for environmental think tank the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) found nearly two thirds were aware of the setting up of Great British Energy, a publicly owned energy company, and 68 per cent supported the move.
Half of those quizzed were also aware of the policy to end the ban on onshore wind, with 60 per backing the move.
While public support looks strong, what does the green energy sector in Lancashire think of the government’s early moves and its bold statement that it will make the UK a green energy superpower by 2030?
RedCAT is the Lancashire Centre for Alternative Technologies, an initiative developed and led by East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce, that provides a pathway of financial and R&D
support to accelerate the commercialisation of low carbon technologies.
It brought a selection of business leaders and entrepreneurs together for Lancashire Business View, to discuss the policies now being promoted and to ask them what they would like to see from the new Westminster administration.
Easier access to funding to support innovation and a commitment to a long-term strategy proved to be two key issues for them.
Paul Andrews is founder and chief executive of CAGE Technologies, a green energy supplier based in north Lancashire. The business
If projects aren’t being funded all the way through to commercialisation, then what is the point in the first place?”
He says that in his experience the present Innovate UK loan scheme is too strict and the process is too long.
Paul adds: “We are continually firefighting. We are not able to move at the rate we need to and it is really frustrating.”
When it comes to other net zero policies, he believes it would be “short-sighted” for the government to concentrate only on hydrogen when it comes to new fuel technology.
We need a simpler, quicker system to
finance develop and commercialise projects. If they aren’t being funded all the way to commercialisation, what is the point?
was established in 2021 to commercialise sustainable power technologies and products.
He believes the funding of innovation should be a key issue for the new government and his simple message is: “make access to finance easier”.
Paul says: “We need a simpler, quicker system to finance, develop and commercialise projects.
He also hopes Labour will open up the clean tech sector in a new direction. He adds: “The future is efficient use of energy and an interlinkage of a combination of technologies.”
Jen Hill, from Blackburn based B&M Longworth, specialists in sustainable recycling technology, also believes access to funding should be made
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