This article was written by Damian and published in this week's Herald and Petersfield Post editions:
"Energy was a leading discussion topic at COP26 East Hampshire – and rightly so, as energy plays a leading role in the road to Net Zero.
My former role at the Treasury - which included the fiscal aspects of energy infrastructure and supply - gave me an insight into the difficult energy ‘trilemma’ we face; between keeping the lights on, decarbonising and keeping cost down.
With the Russian invasion of Ukraine, world energy prices have rocketed. There is sharpened focus on the security of supply - and who we are comfortable buying from.
The threat has meant we need to look even more carefully at our current mix of energy supply and how we can accelerate the transition to more secure, more sustainable, yet affordable sources.
Significantly, we also need those energy sources to be ‘diallable’.
Despite the UK being a world leader in offshore wind and having a successful track record in decarbonising our electricity supply, the growth in renewables is capped by the need to also have power when the sun doesn’t shine or the wind doesn’t blow.
We want of course the lowest carbon sources, but demand points towards the need for nuclear to be part of the mix.
The government’s British Energy Security Strategy sets out how we will accelerate the deployment of wind, new nuclear, solar and hydrogen, whilst supporting the production of domestic oil and gas in the nearer term.
It will push forward a major acceleration of homegrown power, to ensure we have greater energy independence.
The ambition is for around a quarter of our electricity needs to come from nuclear by 2030, with new projects brought forward, including the use of Small Modular Reactors.
New planning reforms to cut the approval times for new offshore wind farms will speed our move towards this energy source, with consultation for a limited number of onshore facilities, in communities who wish to host this infrastructure in return for lower energy bills.
The push will also look to increase our solar capacity - which could grow by up to 5 times by 2035 – and an aim to double the production capacity of low carbon hydrogen by 2030.
These cleaner sources of energy will help industries move away from a reliance on fossil fuels, although oil and gas will remain an important part of the overall transition.
A new licensing round for new North Sea oil and gas projects is planned for the Autumn, recognising how important these fuels are to energy transition but also our energy security.
And of course decarbonisation is all about the alternative power source that is used instead so, for instance, all moves away from coal make a positive contribution to that goal.
Technology will continue to play a key role in determining the speed and direction we take, and I remain optimistic about the substantive difference that battery development can, and will, make.
Ultimately, batteries can change the point about the need for dialable sources.
Supporting the strategic boost for new and accelerated energy sources will be a new public body to oversee the energy network and to strengthen the resilience of our energy supply.
The Future System Operator will look at our energy system as a whole, integrating existing networks with emerging technologies such as hydrogen.
It will work with suppliers and networks to balance the UK’s electricity systems, and provide strategic oversight of the UK gas system, taking on longer-term planning in respect of gas supplies.
The need to reduce our use of carbon is clear, and announcements last week include new funding to accelerate Carbon Capture and Storage Technologies and how to support the commercialisation of the technology.
Our journey to Net Zero continues, and we must now lose sight of the opportunities we have locally to make a difference. The priorities identified during last year’s COP East Hampshire event should help guide us all in how best to do that.
We also need a greater focus on how we manage the mix of resources in a way that builds greater energy security, for the thousands of businesses and millions of households across the country who rely every day on its supply."
