David Simmonds reviews Panorama’s report on the UK government’s key projects aimed at achieving its Clean Power targets – and is already calling for a follow-up programme
IN REWIRING BRITAIN (Panorama, BBC1, 3 February), Justin Rowlatt tries to square the circle between national targets and local concerns as the UK government pursues its Clean Power targets for 2030. Rowlatt meets with protest groups actively opposing pylons in Scotland, solar farms in Lincolnshire, and new high voltage transmission stations in Suffolk. He also interviews the CEOs of the Climate Change Committee and National Energy System Operator (NESO), and meets with Ed Miliband, secretary of state for energy security and net zero, and Lord Deben who put the case for Clean Power to reduce emissions, reduce dependency on foreign energy, and building our new system as cheaply as possible. They too recognise the challenging timetable to meet those 2030 targets.
The good news for me is that most contributors view renewable energy as the longer-term solution, it is just a case of how it will be developed. For example, is it better to place solar panels on roofs rather than industrialise farmland, or route power offshore than build 70 m high pylons across our countryside? Some of the protest groups mention environmentally friendly solutions being implemented overseas and Rowlatt concludes that there is no easy answer to the likely win-lose outcomes.
Those who have seen my Engineering Net Zero series in TCE will not be surprised that I was disappointed that Rowlatt did not look to alternative ways to reach our short-term targets such as adding carbon capture to existing gas-fired generation, one of NESO’s Clean Power options. Nor did he address the post-2030 challenge of delivering more power to our homes as we electrify heat and transport, as this will require digging up streets across the country. Further NESO plans include a greater dependence upon imported power, somewhat negating the energy security arguments.
I have previously drawn comparisons with our fated HS2 and can envisage a similar outcome unless we robustly complete the upfront planning to deliver win-win solutions. Indeed, I believe the broader engineering community must be engaged to develop viable transitional solutions, such as carbon capture, and use experience from the offshore development of oil and gas, to reduce costs for offshore power options. Something for Rowlatt to mull over for a future Panorama?
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