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The REA welcomes the BEIS Select
Committee’s new report ‘Decarbonisation of the power
sector’;
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The report warns that the UK is set to miss targets for
a decarbonised power grid by 2035;
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However, to meet these targets, the REA calls for
further recognition that bioenergy will continue to have a
critical role to play.
The REA (Association for Renewable Energy and Clean Technology)
warmly welcomes the focus in the BEIS Select Committee’s new
report ‘Decarbonisation of the power sector’ on accelerating the
delivery of renewable energy technologies.
This includes the committee’s call for government to urgently
address some of the biggest barriers to renewable deployment,
including the unacceptable delays to planning and grid
connections being experienced across the sector. The REA is
pleased to have engaged heavily in the report.
However, the REA stresses that the report lacks in engaging with
the well-established climate science underpinning the use of
sustainable bioenergy to displace fossil fuels. More focus is
needed on continuing to do bioenergy right, following strict
sustainability governance, and building on the success of the
existing sector.
Sustainable bioenergy has been instrumental to our power sector
decarbonisation so far and is widely acknowledged to be essential
to delivering Net Zero. The REA is keen to see sensible
discussion on bioenergy based on the realities on the ground.
Dr Nina Skorupska CBE FEI, Chief Executive of the
Association for Renewable Energy and Clean Technology (REA)
said:
“The REA strongly welcomes the focus in the BEIS Select
Committee’s new report ‘Decarbonisation of the power sector’ on
accelerating the delivery of renewable energy technologies. As
well as streamlining the current pipeline of renewables, the UK
must act decisively to ensure that green investment is not
diverted away from the UK to other jurisdictions as a result of
stronger incentives elsewhere.
“We support the committee’s call for government to urgently
address some of the biggest barriers to renewable deployment,
including the unacceptable delays to planning and grid
connections being experienced across the sector.
“Sustainable bioenergy has been instrumental to our power
sector decarbonisation so far and is widely acknowledged to be
essential to delivering Net Zero. The REA is keen to see sensible
discussion on bioenergy based on the realities on the ground. The
report recognises the role of bioenergy with carbon capture and
storage (BECCS) but fails to properly engage both with the
current strong, multi-layered sustainability governance for
biomass which is already in place, and the well-established
climate science underpinning the use of sustainable bioenergy to
displace fossil fuels.
“If the UK is to meet its ambitious carbon targets, we must
recognise that bioenergy will continue to have a critical role to
play, utilising both imports and increased domestic feedstock
supplies. The focus, therefore, must be on continuing to do
bioenergy right, following strict sustainability governance, and
building on the success of the existing sector.”
