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REA responds to the Labour Party’s “green prosperity”
plans;
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REA welcomes focus on renewable energy as the route out
of our current energy crisis;
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To be a clean energy superpower however, there must be
a focus across all forms of renewables and in heat, energy
efficiency and transport as well as power.
The REA (Association for Renewable Energy and Clean Technology)
has welcomed the Labour Party’s launch of their energy policy
proposals in Edinburgh today (19 July 2023). The package of
policies announced, described as the “national mission on clean
energy” are designed to decarbonise the energy system and
industry, including plans to insulate 19 million homes, set up a
national clean energy company, decarbonise electricity supply by
2030 and a national wealth fund to invest in green
infrastructure.
Furthermore, the headquarters of the new state-owned green energy
company GB Energy promised by Labour is to be based in Scotland
and the Party has said it would create 50,000 direct and indirect
jobs in Scotland in the clean power sector, focussing on a Just
Transition.
However, the REA notes that any actions to help remove barriers
to make the UK a clean energy superpower by 2030 must focus on
the full range of technologies available and look beyond the
power sector to decarbonise areas of heat and transport as well.
The this includes supporting innovative home-grown bioenergy
technologies, such as BECCS, along with deep geothermal and
marine power.
We require a wide range of business models and technologies to
deliver decarbonisation of the energy sector and unleash the
highly skilled green jobs and investment we know are out there.
Dr Nina Skorupska CBE, CEO at the REA
(Association for Renewable Energy and Clean Technology)
said:
“We welcome today’s announcement from Labour that clean
energy will be at the heart of their energy plans for the UK, if
elected.
“As Sir Keir makes clear, renewables can deliver cheaper,
greener power than any alternatives and must be rolled out at
scale as quickly as possible. The REA echoes his statement that
clean energy is now essential for national security. We will be
interested to see further details on the GB Energy proposals and
agree in principle that local communities should benefit
economically from projects in their areas, as this could become a
major added benefit of the Net Zero transition, with local
authorities being well placed to decide how best to distribute
these benefits.
“We now need to see a greater focus across the full range of
renewable technologies, including bioenergy, geothermal and
marine, in addition to the welcome commitments on onshore wind
and solar.”
