Anthony Ainsworth, Chief Operating Officer at npower Business Solutions
It has been a busy few months since the General Election, which saw the Labour Party achieve a decisive victory.
Since then, several major energy announcements from the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) have been made, all with the key objective of delivering Labour’s ‘mission’ of achieving clean power by 2030.
With 2025 set to be a pivotal year in turning these policies into action, who at government is responsible for the big energy decisions? Here, I take a look at what has been announced so far, and why collaboration will be crucial.
A busy first six months
Firstly, it’s worth taking a quick step back to look at what Labour pledged to deliver.
In its General Election manifesto, one of Labour’s key ‘missions’ was to ‘Make Britain a clean energy superpower’. It said that achieving this would cut energy bills, create green jobs, deliver energy security and provide climate leadership.
To do this, it pledged several measures to support both businesses and consumers, including establishing Great British (GB) Energy, setting up the National Wealth Fund and upgrading millions of homes with its Warm Homes Plan. And, of course, hitting that all important target of a clean power system by 2030.
Since 4 July 2024, several measures have been announced, including lifting the ‘de facto’ ban on onshore wind, a significantly increased budget for Contracts for Difference Allocation Round 6, approving major solar parks and launching the Clean Energy Mission Control Centre.
It also published more details about GB Energy, with the Great British Energy Bill currently making its way through parliament. While its primary missions of developing more energy assets and encouraging more private sector investment are needed, there are concerns GB Energy could become a little bit of ‘everything to everybody’ so it needs to remain focussed.
These busy first months culminated in the publication of the Clean Power 2030 Action Plan following recommendations by the National Energy Systems Operator (NESO).
Delivering the plan
So, who are the people and organisations charged with delivering the clean power mission?
Alongside Secretary of State, Ed Miliband, and Energy Minister, Michael Shanks, perhaps one of the most important roles is held by Sarah Jones MP.
She is Minister of State at both DESNZ, and the Department for Business and Trade (DBT). This dual role will see her focus on areas such as industrial decarbonisation and emissions trading, including fuel switching, business and commercial buildings decarbonisation, clean jobs, energy sector investments and green growth sectors.
When looking specifically at the public sector, Miatta Fahnbulleh MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at DESNZ, is tasked with public sector decarbonisation. With a background that includes a deep academic understanding of how energy works, she will be a key figure over the next few years.
What is also interesting about this government is the appointment of people who are not
Labour MPs, for example James Timpson as Prisons Minister and Sir Patrick Vallance as Science Minister.
While not specific government roles, for energy and business, there have been two notable appointments. Firstly, Chris Stark, former CEO of Climate Change Committee, is now the head of Mission Control for Clean Power 2030. He will be central to overseeing GB Energy and NESO, in addition to Ofgem and the Crown Estate, ensuring they and government departments work better together to achieve the clean power mission.
Secondly, Juergen Maier, the former Siemens UK CEO, is the new Chair of GB Energy. With a strong background in industry, he will be key to ensuring that GB Energy delivers on its promises.
Beyond DESNZ and DBT, energy policy also extends into other government departments, particularly the Treasury and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
Is clean power by 2030 achievable?
Without doubt, there is alot to do. In its recommendations to government, NESO said that achieving clean power by 2030 is achievable, but it will require significant change and investment. And, that this needs to happen very quickly.
It is also important to remember that it’s not just about the longer-term gains.The government also has to address the current market issues impacting businesses and public sector organisations and the price they pay for energy. For example, the lack of liquidity in the wholesale markets has had a huge impact on costs and needs to be addressed.
This is why collaboration will be so crucial to success, not just between government departments, but also between energy, business and trade organisations, businesses, stakeholders and the public sector. In short, 2025 will be a pivotal year for energy and delivering real results against the government’s mission.
More information is available in npower Business Solutions’ webinar.
This article appeared in the Jan/Feb 2025 issue of Energy Manager magazine. Subscribe here.
