Latest news with #NetZero
New Statesman
3 hours ago
- Business
- New Statesman
Ed Miliband keeps winning
Photo byIt's been a cheery couple of weeks for Ed Miliband. Despite a raft of negative briefings in the weeks prior to the spending review, Miliband's Department for Energy Security and Net Zero ended up being one of Rachel Reeves' biggest winners. Alongside the cancellation of a previously trailed cut to the Warm Homes Plan, DESNZ received a 16 per cent increase in spending power (more than any other department). And now, following a period of internal wrangling with the Number 10 and the Treasury, the former Labour leader has announced the extension of the Warm Homes Discount, a policy which offers a £150 energy bills discount to those on low incomes. Insiders tell me it is something the Energy Secretary has been working on behind the scenes for months. Energy bills – and the government's pledge to cut them by £300 before the end of the parliament – will be a key metric of Labour's success at the next election. Frustration over the slow pace of reduction, alongside fury over the Winter Fuel Payment, were big issues on the doorstep during the locals (it wasn't a good night for Labour). In the wake of voting, one insider close to Miliband pointed to the Warm Homes Discount – which was first introduced in 2011 – and questioned why the government did not make more of it following the decision to cut Winter Fuel. It is, after all, a means-tested benefit intended to support not just elderly people, but millions of households on low incomes to reduce their energy bills. The extension announced on Thursday will see a further 2.7 million households eligible to receive this benefit; over 6 million households will now be able to access the discount. It will be paid for via a deal which the government has struck with the energy regulator, Ofgem. Currently, energy bills include the socialised costs of energy companies' unpaid debts, the government has done a deal to reduce the overall debt burden on energy companies. This accompanies the recent cut to the Energy Price Cap, which comes into effect in July, meaning a double whammy of energy bill reductions. All of this suggests that despite speculation that Keir Starmer might be about to make an about-turn on support for net zero, the Prime Minister is firmly staying put. Not only has Miliband's funding been bolstered, but his department has been responsible for some of the government's most recent positive news: 100,000 new jobs at Sizewell C, solar panels for newbuild homes, schools, and hospitals, and now the extension of the Warm Homes Discount. And Starmer has made clear that, in directly taking on Nigel Farage, he won't look to ape the Reform UK's net zero scepticism but will seek to prove how the green transition can help low-income, marginalised communities, as well as slashing the UK's carbon emissions. That Starmer is staying close to Miliband is unsurprising. The PM has, after all, always been environmentally minded (he is a pescatarian, did you know?). Perhaps his most famous case as a human rights lawyer was representing two Greenpeace Activists against McDonalds in the 1997 McLibel trial. Starmer, who's former Kentish Town home is a short walk from Miliband's ends in Dartmouth Park, was also encouraged to run to be an MP in 2015 by his predecessor as Labour leader. The pair have a shared political history; it's easy to speculate that Starmer feels some loyalty there. Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe Connections aside, it's clear Starmer sees the electoral benefit of his Energy Secretary's clean power drive, particularly after the disastrous Winter Fuel Payment saga and the government's subsequent U-turn. Reducing the UK's reliance on imported natural gas and other fossil fuels will lead to lower energy bills; a result on which Starmer's premiership will be heavily judged (and to some extent, already is). And in this new turbulent international climate – the arguments for energy security remain; Miliband was the first to make them. After months of underestimation from his detractors, the Energy Secretary and his agenda are safe, for the time being. It all now rests on the success of his delivery. Related
RTÉ News
15 hours ago
- Business
- RTÉ News
Moneypoint Power Station to end coal burning after 40 years
After 40 years of operation ESB is to cease burning coal at its Moneypoint Power Station in Co Clare from today. However, the plant will continue to provide security of supply for Ireland's electricity system by operating as a back-up out-of-market generator of last resort for Eirgrid. It will use heavy oil for electricity generation in place of coal for the next four years. ESB is continuing the transformation of its Moneypoint power station, at Kilrush in Co Clare, into a renewable energy hub by ending the use of coal for electricity generation six months earlier than planned. It is a significant milestone in the organisation's Net Zero carbon emissions strategy. Two years ago, it signed an agreement with EirGrid to keep the plant generating electricity using oil from 2025 up to 2029. It will only be required to operate when the electricity system is short of generating capacity, and only under instruction from EirGrid. Oil generation is less carbon intensive than coal generation, and the station is expected to see significantly less running during this four-year period. Moneypoint will remain a key site for ESB and for the Mid-West region as the station evolves and transforms to support the Irish government to achieve its climate targets. ESB commenced its transition away from fossil fuel generation at Moneypoint in 2017 with the construction of a 17MW onshore wind farm. In 2021, it announced Green Atlantic at Moneypoint, a multi-billion-euro plan to transform the site into one of the country's largest renewable energy hubs, utilising its deep-water port and existing infrastructure. Phase one of this plan was completed in 2022 with a €50 million investment in Ireland's first synchronous compensator, a zero-carbon technology that allows the system to utilise ever increasing amounts of use of renewable electricity. The Moneypoint power station has been operating since the mid 1980s. It contains three separate coal-fired power generating units, capable of producing up to 305 MW of electricity each, giving the plant a total electricity generation capacity of 915 MW. At its peak of operation, it was capable of supplying about a quarter of Ireland's total electricity needs. However, in recent years its contribution has been significantly lower than that. Before the Moneypoint station was built Ireland was very heavily dependent on imported oil for the generation of electricity. However, the oil crises of 1973 and 1979, and the crippling shortages that resulted, underscored domestic and international fears about the security of that oil supply. It was because of that it was considered a good idea to include a substantial coal-fired power station in the electricity production mix. Coal is the most carbon intensive of all fossil fuels and is about 25% more carbon intensive per unit of electricity generated than Heavy Fuel Oil it replaced. However, back in the 1980's when Moneypoint was commissioned very little attention was paid to the issue of carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels for electricity. It that regard is perhaps ironic now that, as Ireland is ending the use of coal for electricity generation because of climate policy, it is temporarily reverting to burning the same type of oil for electricity that was being used before the three coal-fired units at Moneypoint were commissioned in the first place. This time round however, Moneypoint will not be active in the wholesale electricity market and will in effect only be operated for limited hours. It will be used as a back-up, out of market generator, that Eirgrid can call on any time they need extra generation capacity to ensure a stable supply of electricity for the Irish market. This means nevertheless that it will remain a critical station for the security of supply for the Irish electricity system, particularly over the winter period, and it will still be a significant source of carbon emission because it will burn a fossil fuel, oil. ESB has installed two massive heavy fuel oil storage tanks at Moneypoint with a capacity between them of 50,000 tonnes. Prior to this, the plant had the capacity to store enough coal for the generation of up to three months' supply of electricity. It is intended that the back-up generation of electricity at the plant using heavy fuel oil will cease in 2029.
Scotsman
a day ago
- Politics
- Scotsman
Scotland rejects climate change committee advice to cut livestock herds by a quarter
Farmers welcomed the move, saying grazing livestock are 'part of the solution, not the problem.' Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Scotland has dismissed official climate change advice to slash cattle and sheep herds by about a quarter for emissions targets. The announcement was made at the opening of the Royal Highland Show on Thursday. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The Climate Change Committee (CCC), the official body offering advice to UK government and devolved nations recommended Scotland cut its livestock herds by 27 per cent by 2040 for Net Zero targets. The announcement was met with widespread concern among the farming community who have repeatedly said livestock numbers can be part of the solution when it comes to climate change mitigation. Speaking at the Quality Meat Scotland breakfast event at the show, rural affairs secretary Mairi Gougeon said: 'Let me be absolutely crystal clear, this government has no policy and will have no policy to cut livestock numbers.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Rural affairs secretary Mairi Gougeon The decision was welcomed by the National Farmers Union Scotland (NFU Scotland), who had urged ministers to reject the 'narrow proposals'. The move followed new greenhouse gas statistics showing agriculture emissions in Scotland have already fallen by 13.6 per cent since 1990, alongside publication of the CCC's latest recommendations on UK and Scottish carbon budgets. NFU Scotland vice president Duncan Macalister said: 'Farmers are already cutting emissions and increasing efficiencies - not by reducing output, but by improving how we produce food. 'It's about net zero, not zero emissions. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Grazing livestock are part of the solution, not the problem - especially when managed well in pasture-based systems like ours. 'The government now needs to say clearly: how will future support reflect that reality and where does livestock fit in a climate-smart farming future?' Earlier this week, NFU Scotland met with the Climate Change Committee to discuss how farming can contribute to climate goals without undermining food production, biodiversity or rural livelihoods. The announcement comes after first minister John Swinney, ahead of attending the show himself, said: 'Our ambition is for Scotland to be a global leader in sustainable and regenerative agriculture. To do that we are working in partnership with the sector to transform the support we give to our farmers and crofters. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'The Royal Highland Show is our chance to showcase the absolute best of food produce, farming excellence and all of the industries that support our rural communities.' Mr Swinney pointed to the Scottish Government's commitment to sustainable food production, with more than £600 million annually, including maintaining direct support payments in the subsidy scheme, a system that is being phased out south of the border. Farmers are still in the dark about how the new four-tier subsidy scheme to replace the pre-Brexit CAP payments will work.
Spectator
2 days ago
- Politics
- Spectator
Farage: Scrap the fracking ban and bomb Iran
Would a Reform government lift the ban on fracking? 'Abso-bloody-lutely,' is Nigel Farage's answer. Fracking and nuclear will form the core of Reform's push for British energy self-sufficiency – a drive that will see the Net Zero target junked if the party wins power. The Reform leader made his remarks at 'Net Zero: The New Brexit?', a panel ebent in Westminster, put on by Heartland UK & Europe, a new cross-Atlantic offshoot of a prominent US think-tank. But while his punchiest view at the event was on the Iran-Israel war – 'Let's get rid of this bloody awful lot' was his take on the Islamic Republic – the Reform leader clearly sees how the subject of energy can help his party to woo voters. For Farage, Net Zero is the new Brexit for the simple reason that it once again pits British voters against the establishment. Big businesses, the old parties, Whitehall, trade unions and much of the media may support the push for clean energy. But as the costs of the energy transition manifest, voters are unlikely to continue support a scheme that hits them where it hurts. What Reform's energy revolution will look like hasn't yet been clearly defined. In a response to fellow GB News regular Jacob Rees-Mogg as to how various contracts for difference would be renegotiated or scrapped in Reform's push to abolish all green subsidies, Farage could offer little more than the pledge that we will see 'some haircuts'. But he did speak highly of South Korea's speedy approach to small modular reactors – a sign, perhaps, that he has been reading Sam Dumitriu. Farage is a former Green voter. He admitted that he had backed the party in the 1989 European elections. But in the years since, it has switched its traditional environmentalism of protecting wildlife and ecosystems for a myopic obsession with carbon emissions. He worries that the dash for Net Zero comes from a wider godlessness within modern society. When you stop believing in God, he suggested, you believe in anything – a wonderfully poignant reflection from the supposed pub bore. Whether Net Zero is the new Brexit remains to be seen. Most voters, when presented with something marketed as Brexit 2.0, would want to run a mile. But as the Energy Secretary Ed Miliband continues his one-man crusade for national immiseration, one wonders if British voters will become conscious of how the decarbonisation agenda is increasing their bills and massacring our industry.
The Independent
2 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
Rewiring Britain: a national mission to decarbonise our buildings
AES is a Business Reporter client If we want the buildings of tomorrow to be truly energy efficient, we need to take action today. In the face of unstable energy costs and the effects of climate change growing more visible, the way we heat and power our buildings is no longer sustainable. Nearly 20 per cent of the UK's carbon emissions come from the built environment. Without addressing how our homes, offices and commercial spaces use energy, we will not reach Net Zero. The encouraging news is that the solutions already exist. At AES, we see first-hand the transformative impact of technologies such as air source heat pumps, solar panels, battery storage and EV infrastructure. These aren't hypothetical fixes or futuristic gadgets – they are practical systems being installed across the country today, reducing emissions and helping consumers regain control over their energy bills. It's also important to recognise that these technologies are advancing rapidly. For example, solar photovoltaics (PV) and solar-thermal power are becoming more efficient and accessible, with research efforts exploring new materials to further improve performance and reduce costs. Bifacial solar panels, which can capture sunlight on both sides, are gaining traction and increasing yield from the same footprint, offering benefit to larger-scale commercial installations. These innovations will not only strengthen the case for renewables but will also add long-term value for homeowners and businesses investing in these upgrades today. Battery energy storage systems (BESS) are becoming an essential part of the transition, especially as more homes and businesses adopt solar power. By storing excess energy generated during the day, BESS allows users to draw on that power during the evening or at peak times – maximising self-consumption and reducing reliance on the grid. As battery technology advances, we are seeing longer lifespans, faster charging times and declining costs. For the grid, decentralised battery storage helps balance supply and demand, increasing resilience and enabling a smarter, more responsive energy network. Similarly, air source heat pumps are fast emerging as a mainstream alternative to traditional gas boilers. They work by extracting heat from the outside air – even in cold temperatures – and using it to warm homes and water. Their efficiency is what makes them so compelling: for every unit of electricity used, they can deliver three or more units of heat. With new high-temperature models available, they are increasingly suitable for retrofit installations without requiring major changes to existing heating systems. As more units are installed, economies of scale are bringing down costs and improving installer expertise. Yet progress remains painfully slow. If the UK is to truly lead on climate action, government policy must shift from short-term gestures to long-term support. And that means focusing not only on innovation but on affordability, access and trust. For many people, the decision to upgrade a home or business is ultimately a financial one. Environmental benefits matter, but most homeowners and landlords want clear evidence that change will pay off. Fortunately, that case is getting stronger by the day. Retrofitting existing buildings with modern renewable systems can substantially reduce annual energy costs, depending on the size and type of property. At the same time, new-build homes that are designed with sustainability in mind are commanding higher property values and offering lower running costs to their occupants. With energy prices remaining volatile, renewables also provide long-term protection from global fossil fuel shocks. The problem is that these benefits are not being communicated clearly enough. While grants and tax incentives exist, they are often under-publicised, complex to access or too short-lived to build confidence. We also see these grants being exploited. In some cases, funding is secured for works that deliver minimal long-term impact or fail to meet the spirit of sustainability aims. Poor oversight and inconsistent enforcement can result in substandard installations or inflated claims of energy performance, which ultimately undermine public trust. For the system to work effectively, grants must be accompanied by clearer standards, transparent reporting and robust accountability measures. The public needs real-world examples, reliable guidance and simple tools to understand what's possible in their own homes or buildings. Retrofitting will play a critical role in the transition. Most of the buildings that will exist in 2050 are already standing, many of them energy inefficient. If we're serious about decarbonising the built environment, we must scale up the upgrading of older housing stock and commercial premises. But new buildings must also be part of the solution. Every new home, office or industrial unit constructed from today must be designed with energy efficiency, electrified heating and renewable energy generation built in from the outset – not bolted on later. So, what's standing in the way? A lack of long-term policy vision is one major issue. Government schemes that appear and disappear within months leave both consumers and businesses hesitant to invest. A shortage of skilled installers is another challenge, limiting the pace at which retrofit projects can be delivered. And public confusion about where to start, what works and who to trust is stalling momentum on the ground. Other countries are demonstrating what meaningful progress in the built environment can look like. Nations such as Portugal and Denmark have shown how stable policy frameworks, long-term investment in sustainable building practices and strong public engagement can drive real change. Portugal has introduced progressive regulations for energy-efficient construction and is supporting large-scale retrofitting programmes alongside its renewable energy expansion. Denmark has advanced district heating, electrified building systems and passive house design standards that have transformed how buildings are powered and insulated. These examples show that taking ambitious but achievable action on the built environment is possible in climates and economies like our own. The UK must adopt a similarly holistic approach, embedding energy efficiency and sustainability into the very fabric of how we build, renovate and inhabit our spaces. To drive this transformation, we need a joined-up national strategy that goes beyond fragmented local or borough-led initiatives. The message must come from the top, with central government leading a unified approach that delivers clarity, confidence and continuity. This would involve long-term incentives for both retrofit and new-build projects, the establishment of clear and enforceable performance standards for buildings, and major investment in developing the green workforce. Public education must be part of this too, but not just through scattered campaigns. We need a co-ordinated national narrative that breaks through political noise and misinformation, explaining both the how and the why of sustainable construction. Emerging technologies such as AI can play a vital role in supporting this transformation – from optimising energy use through smart grid integration and building performance to tailoring advice and engagement for consumers. However, as AI adoption increases, so too will the demand for digital infrastructure. This means more data centres – energy-intensive facilities that will need to be powered sustainably if they are to support rather than hinder Net Zero efforts. The challenge is that while AI offers huge potential to enhance energy efficiency across sectors, the path to powering the infrastructure that enables it remains unclear. A national strategy must also address how we build and power the digital backbone of the green economy, ensuring that data centres are integrated into energy planning with the same rigour as homes and businesses. At AES, our work is rooted in the everyday realities of this transition. We're helping businesses and homeowners make meaningful upgrades that cut emissions and bring real economic benefits. We know what's possible – but we also know it's not happening fast enough. This is not a challenge for tomorrow. It is one for today. The decisions we make now will shape the homes, communities and climate we leave behind for generations to come. Britain's buildings are the front line of this fight. We need to get to work.
