The Prime Minister chaired a roundtable of industry leaders from
the wind sector this afternoon. This was third in a series of
business roundtables focussed on energy security.
He began by noting the huge natural potential for offshore wind
as a secure and renewable energy source. Recent events, including
Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, had shown how crucial it is
that the UK builds a strong, home-grown renewable energy sector
to reduce reliance on fossil fuels.
While the UK was already a world leader in offshore wind, the
Prime Minister told attendees that he had an insatiable desire to
further maximise supply. This would support high-wage,
high-skilled jobs, while ensuring the UK can deliver Net Zero by
2050 and meet its energy needs for the future.
Attendees discussed a range of issues relevant to the sector,
including auctions, improving the resilience of the energy grid,
reducing costs and exploring what more could be done to ensure
that locally supported windfarms can be built in good time.
Energy Minister, , raised the work of Offshore
Wind Acceleration Task Force which is currently leading a review
in this area. He also set out the support that government is
providing, including over £380 million for offshore wind
technology.
The Prime Minister ended by reaffirming his commitment to ramp up
the supply of wind power and thanked industry for their
collaboration as part of this effort.
