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Some thoughts on yesterday's Energy White Paper - far too late to be a hot take, sorry
First - it's a very different WP to previous: it puts the climate crisis, and net zero target, front & centre.
Also it opens up qs that govt has been shy to address for a while. Like... 1/7
First - it's a very different WP to previous: it puts the climate crisis, and net zero target, front & centre.
Also it opens up qs that govt has been shy to address for a while. Like... 1/7
an acknowledgement that 'market framework changes' may be needed to change the way that people buy energy products & services. Yup, v true.... 2/7
an acknowledgement that institutions for energy governance are outdated and need an overhaul, something that @ProfCMitchell & I have argued for quite a while 3/7
and a tantalising nod toward the need for a much more streamlined, co-ordinated management of energy system transformation - again something that I, @ProfCMitchell & also @instituteforgov have been making the case for, for some time 4/7
but (you knew that was coming) the language of the WP is still v much about consumers (not citizens, communities, etc...) & all the talk in the 'consumer' chapter assumes the current model of energy supply (eg making it easier for people to switch). Not the right framing imo 4/7
(compare that with @theCCCuk whose latest report really helpfully spells out the many roles people play as citizens, family members, etc and, yes, also consumers, and who highlight the brilliant work of the Climate Assembly @NetZeroUK ) 5/7
and for my final but - there's some warm words about getting to net zero in oil & gas fields in terms of the way they operate, but silence in terms of the UK's continuing focus on digging the stuff out of the ground. This debate ain't going away. 6/7
so - much like the 10 Point Plan - this latest doc opens up wholes new area of discussion that government hasn't really focussed on before, which is great - though all needs to be done at warp speed if we're to meet the targets & ensure all investment is net-zero compatible. 7/7
