UK Clean Power possible by 2030?

July 5th, 2024 saw Labour take the largest government majority in 25 years.

With the next 5 years being absolutely critical in tackling the worsening climate crisis, we look to the Government to drive progress and fast-track our transition to cleaner energy.  Solar Energy UK (SEUK) the UKs Solar Trade Association, has released it’s 2024 Manifesto, highlighting 5 actions that are critical for the new Labour Government.

Naked Solar’s Planet Maintenance Academy equips the UKs work-force with the key skills needed to tackle the climate crisis head on. 

 

Labour’s Green Manifesto Highlighted

In it’s bid to make the UK a “clean energy superpower” with Clean Power by 2030, what does the Labour Government’s Green agenda have in store for us?

• Working with the private sector, Labour aims to double onshore wind, triple solar power, and quadruple offshore wind by 2030.
• They’ve set the goal of 50 gigawatts of Solar generation by 2030 (that’s roughly triple where we’re currently at). This target stays in line with the previous Government’s ambtion of 70 gigawatts of Solar by 2035 to achieve Net Zero targets.
• Labour has pledged to spend £28 billion a year on green investments until 2030, accelerating our transition to a greener future.
• The ‘Green Prosperity Plan’ will tackle the skill shortage in our industry and create 650,000 more jobs across the country by 2030.
• Labour will also seek to put pressure on water companies, with punishment to those who pollute our waterways.
• The warmer homes plan seeks to tackle the energy efficiency of British homes to drive down bills and CO2e.  “Fabric first” is the key to success with this policy.

 

Read Labour’s full “Make Britain a Clean Energy Superpower” manifesto here.

 

Keir Starmer has unveiled plans for a “Solar rooftop revolution” under the Labour Government.

 

The early signs are looking bright 

Our MD, Tony recently caught up with his friends at the coal face of industry lobbying.

The Solar Energy UK folks are very excited about the new government.  SEUK do a lot of lobbying and are frequently in front of junior ministers.  They were very excited to tell me that they have an appointment with Ed Milliband who is the new Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero.  This happened within a couple of weeks of the Labour win.  To get the ear of a cabinet minister so quickly shows a significant change in attitude from the new Government.  Ed Milliband is very fluent in renewables so is in a strong position to hit the ground running.

Noah Law, Labour MP for our HQ’s constituency, has also set a date to visit Naked Solar in the next few coming weeks, further showing his commitment to deliver on his manifesto priorities.

You may also have heard a lot of the very quick decisions that Labour implemented, which backs up their claim of being focused on the environment, like removing the ability for NIMBYs to easily block onshore wind farms.

In short, their principle approach stacks up.  People in the UK will spend money on energy, better to have that money going towards self-generation, supporting UK jobs rather than spending it abroad on imported energy.  It also brings energy security to the UK, which will prove critical as the expected volitility of international relations increases due to the worsening climate migration, reduced food production and increased destruction of popluated areas from storms and flooding.

 

Join the fight for a cleaner future – how can you help?

If Naked Solar was not your Solar installer (we’re still glad you went ahead with Solar), please enourage your Installer to join Solar Energy UK and support their very effective lobbying efforts.

Lobby your local MP.  You can use the My Society website to quickly view your MPs voting record.  Remember, they are our elected followers, not elected leaders.  Politicians want to win votes so they keep a keen eye on the poles and opinions of their consituents.

Most of all, talk to your freinds, colleagues and families about the key issues.  We know that mis-information has been the biggest challenge to facing the climate crisis, do what you can to help people understand the seriousness of what we’re facing.