April 19, 2024
Full articleIn the renewable energy industry? Looking forward to the election? Not sure who is proposing what? We’ve read the manifestos of the main parties (excluding Northern Ireland) and summarized their positions on renewable energy issues in the handy tables below. We have excluded energy market policies, such as price caps for consumers) and we’ve not touched on offshore oil & gas. The order is according to number of MPs each party had immediately before Parliament was dissolved. We’ve included links to each manifesto.
CONSERVATIVE – https://www.conservatives.com/manifesto
| Renewable Energy Technology | Wind | Solar | Fracking | Infrastructure | Energy Efficiency | Nuclear | Community Projects |
| Commission an independent review into the cost of energy while ensuring reliable supply and meeting 2050 carbon reduction objective. Want a diverse energy mix. Energy policy to be based on outcomes rather than the means -form an energy policy not based on the way energy is generate but on desired ends. | Onshore – Small scale onshore wind not right for England but will support the development of wind projects in the remote Islands of Scotland where they will directly benefit local communities.
Offshore – maintain our position as a global leader | No specific policy. | Develop shale industry in UK. Non-fracking drilling to be treated as permitted development. Bolster planning resources for shale gas. Create a new Shale Environmental Regulator, combining the functions of HSE, EA and DBEIS. Create a Shale Wealth Fund from proceeds of fracking. Allow payments to be made directly to local community. | Look at ways in which the regulation of utilities… can be improved to deliver a better deal for customers and sharper incentives for investment efficiency | Establish an industrial energy efficiency scheme to help large companies to install measures to but their bills. Commit to upgrade all “fuel poor homes” to EPC band C by 2030 and look at measures for new houses. | No specific policy. | Silent other than support for community onshore wind for Scottish Islands. |
LABOUR – http://www.labour.org.uk/page/-/Images/manifesto-2017/Labour%20Manifesto%202017.pdf
| Carbon Targets Renewable Energy Technology | Wind | Solar | Fracking | Infrastructure | Energy Efficiency | Nuclear | Community Projects |
| Target 60% of UK’s energy to come from zero carbon or renewable energy by 2030. Sustainable energy policy – keep the lights on, ensure affordable for consumer and businesses and meet our climate change targets while transitioning to a low carbon economy. Take energy back into public ownership to deliver renewable energy, affordability for consumers and democratic control. Invest in state of the art low carbon and renewable energy technology, including tidal lagoons. | No specific policy. | No specific policy. | Would ban fracking. | Change National and Regional Network Operator Conditions to regain public control of energy supply networks.
Support the creation of publicly owned, locally accountable energy companies and co-operatives to rival existing companies – at least 1 per region. | Insulate 4 million homes. Homeowners to be offered interest free loans to improve their properties. Improve existing landlord energy efficiency regulations. | Would support new nuclear projects.
Retain membership of EURATOM. | No specific policy. |
SCOTTISH NATIONAL PARTY – https://www.snp.org/manifesto
| Carbon Targets Renewable Energy Technology | Wind | Solar | Fracking | Infrastructure | Energy Efficiency | Nuclear | Community Projects |
| Work to ensure that low cost green energy schemes get the long term certainty needed to support further development and reductions in cost Increased focus on tidal energy and wave power. Scotland to be a leader in the development of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technology, which has the potential to create thousands of jobs in Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and beyond, while fighting climate change | Press for onshore wind to be included in UK industrial strategy. Support the development of wind and other renewable energy projects in the Northern and Western Isles – and a clear timescale for the delivery of the electricity interconnectors needed in the islands
Offshore – increased focus on sector. | No specific policy. | Mentions existing moratorium on fracking and coal gasification. | Build a regulatory environment which supports investment in new energy storage schemes, including pumped hydro and batteries, allowing Scotland to maximise the benefits of our outstanding resources and build an energy system for the 21st century
Demand the reform of transmission charging regime. | A national priority with over £500M invested. | Opposed to Hinkley Point C. | Champion the interests of island and mainland communities to ensure they benefit financially from renewable energy projects and Scotland’s outstanding natural resources. |
LIBERAL DEMOCRAT – http://www.libdems.org.uk/manifesto
| Carbon Targets Renewable Energy Technology | Wind | Solar | Fracking | Infrastructure | Energy Efficiency | Nuclear | Community Projects |
| Would introduce a Zero Carbon Britain Act – reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2040 and to zero by 2050. Expand renewable energy to 60% of generation by 2030. Develop national college for renewable energy technology. Additional funding to bring more private investment into renewable energy.
Support investment in cutting-edge technologies including energy storage, smart grid technology, hydrogen technologies and tidal power (including giving the go-ahead for the Swansea Bay tidal lagoon), and investing heavily in research and development.
Support an ambitious carbon capture and storage programme, which is essential for delivering clean industrial growth | Onshore – restore Government support in appropriate locations.
Support investment in offshore wind. | Restore Government support in appropriate locations. | Oppose Fracking. | Build more interconnectors to support renewable generation. | Insulate 4 million homes by 2022.
All homes in England to be EPC band C by 2035. | Support Nuclear Energy, but no subsidy for new build nuclear.
Retain membership of EURATOM. | Encourage small scale and community energy schemes. |
GREEN PARTY – https://www.greenparty.org.uk/green-guarantee/all-manifestos-alternative-formats.html
| Carbon Targets Renewable Energy Technology | Wind | Solar | Fracking | Infrastructure | Energy Efficiency | Nuclear | Community Projects |
| Active ongoing cooperation with businesses and other countries to limit global temperature increases to well below 2 degrees and aiming for 1.5 degrees
Plan to decarbonise heat, including pilot residential and commercial projects.
Create a new Green Investment and Innovation Centre with borrowing powers to help create and finance the transition to a zero-carbon economy. | Onshore – introduce new support.
Offshore – scale up investment. | Introduce new support. | Ban fracking. | Bring energy into public ownership. | A public works programme of insulation to make every home warm – insulating 9 million homes. | Scrap Hinkley Point C and all new nuclear. Invest in smart grid and interconnection with Europe. | Democratise energy ownership by reforming Tax Relief for smaller-scale projects, introducing Green ISAs, promoting Green Bonds by allowing tax-free bonds for green projects, and issuing government backed Green Bonds – and requiring all projects that obtain government support to have a community ownership element.
Require grid operators to give priority access to community energy projects and empower local communities to create energy and municipal heating projects |
The information and opinions contained in this blog are for information only. They are not intended to constitute advice and should not be relied upon or considered as a replacement for advice. Before acting on any of the information contained in this blog, please seek specific advice from Gilson Gray.
