Green Energy
What the British Energy Security Bill is missing
Luke Osborne, energy & emerging technologies solutions advisor, ECA, shares his insights on the new British Energy Security Strategy.
T
he Government’s British Energy Security Strategy outlined a heavily delayed and much-anticipated plan to reach energy independence and Net Zero Carbon. The strategy saw mixed reactions from the electrotechnical sector, ranging from praise for its renewed focus on wind power, to shock at its proposals to boost oil and gas as an interim measure while we ramp up renewable and nuclear generation. But before any of these points can be addressed, we must first pay attention to a glaring omission from the Strategy: retrofit and energy efficiency. By a long stretch, the quickest route to energy security is to reduce our energy use by retrofitting our ageing housing stock. Retrofit, insulation and other energy efficiency measures may not sound as glamorous as wind turbines or nuclear power plants, but these are essential pieces of the energy security puzzle which have been overlooked and need urgent attention from the Government.
ewnews.co.uk
Unlike long term projects such as nuclear plants and wind farms, retrofit solutions are available today, and can immediately alleviate the energy crisis.
While we wait for new projects to be completed and start producing electricity, the strategy proposes to boost domestic oil and gas production. This is not an acceptable short- term measure – especially when our sector can so readily deliver energy efficiency solutions. The notion that we can delay our switch to low carbon energy by burning more fossil fuels in the interim is misguided, especially in light of the IPCC’s latest ‘final warning’ climate change report.1
For the long haul to Net Zero, we need energy flexibility; a mix of low-carbon sources and a reduction in energy use. We need short- and medium-term wins to bring the cost of fuel down quickly and decarbonise the grid, rather than large spends on long-term projects which will 1
https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg3/
do little to ease our emissions in the short term or provide room to develop new solutions in the future.
Our best bet for immediate results is to focus on retrofitting our leaky and draughty housing stock. By creating better incentives for energy efficient buildings, such as a home insulation
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