Britain’s rush to Net Zero is driven by “ideology, not evidence” and is pricing families out of the tech of the future, the shadow energy secretary has claimed.
Claire Coutinho said that Prime Minister Andy Burnham knew that exploiting the North Sea was the right thing to do but was too “chicken” to give the green light.
And she said that UK energy policies, which have contributed to the country struggling with some of the highest electricity prices in the developed world, were the opposite of “climate leadership”.
“Our high electricity prices are not convincing any other countries to follow our lead,” she said. “In fact, it’s our hot and heavy pursuit of Net Zero that is giving the others the ick.”
Ms Coutinho was speaking at a press conference in central London following a report by think tank Onward into the costs of the energy system.
Its report found that, by scaling back on Net Zero targets to make cheap and reliable energy the focus, households could save about £540 a year after 2030.
It suggested that keeping to current policies would cost the country £320 billion between 2030 and 2050.
The Government wants 95 per cent of electricity on the grid to be from clean generation sources by 2030. Under Onward’s alternate scenario, gas would continue to provide more than 20 per cent of electricity.
Kemi Badenoch has criticised Labour’s plans to hit Net Zero
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GB NEWSThis would provide firm, rather than intermittent power, and mean billions of pounds earmarked for grid expansion would not be needed, slashing bills.
The report also recommended ditching carbon taxes to save billions more – a move that has been endorsed by Tory leader, Kemi Badenoch.
Ms Coutinho claimed that the Tories were the only party with a realistic solution to Brtiain’s energy crisis.
She cited the North Sea as an example, saying that domestic production carried lower emissions than imported fossil fuels.
Claire Coutinho has called on the Government to prioritise cheap power | GETTY
Despite this, she said, the Prime Minister was stalling on approving Rosebank and Jackdaw – oil and gas fields where work has been halted because of climate-related legal challenges.
But Ms Coutinho accused the Prime Minister of ‘shirking’ the decision, saying: “Andy Burnham knows that it’s right to sign off those two fields.
“He’s just too chicken to do it.”
No 10 has said the decision will be made by energy secretary, Miatta Fahnbulleh, through a quasi-judicial process”. It insisted that she would consider all of the evidence before arriving at a decision.
Ms Coutinho served as energy secretary before the Tories lost power at the last election. She told how she had wanted proof that renewables were cheaper, as was frequently claimed.
“The truth is that too much wind and solar creates all of these extra hidden costs,” she said. She compared it to a budget airline where “the ticket might look cheap, but once you’ve paid for a bag, a seat and a sandwich, you realise you’ve been stung”.
She had tasked civil servants to carry out a proper analysis of these costs, she said. But, after the election, her successor, Ed Miliband, cancelled it.
The Onward report – Firm Foundations– was now “the single, most detailed costing of the electricity system that has even been produced in British politics”, she said.
“For me, this is unfinished business”, she announced, at the launch.
“The findings are remarkable.
It shows that we can save consumers over £320 billion off their electricity bill by 2050 if we prioritise cheap electricity over a Net Zero grid dominated by wind and solar.
“And we still have electricity, which is nearly 80% clean, at the end of it.
“That’s the equivalent saving of £540 for British household, per year, for the next two decades.
“This is the work that should have been done by Government, but has not been, because they’re more driven by ideology than they are by evidence.”
She denied suggestions that challenging Net Zero in the wake of a summer of heatwaves and wildfires amounted to ignoring the climate.
“It’s been said by some that we are in denial,” she said. “But we Conservatives are not in denial about climate change. It’s the left who are in denial about the fact that their climate policy is failing.”
She said that just ten per cent of UK emissions came from the grid. But expensive electricity meant people were unable to invest in the very electric tech that could cut emissions elsewhere, such as heat pumps and electric cars.
“There is simply no point having the cleanest electricity in the world if nobody in Britain can afford to use it,” she said.
“If you want to cut emissions, then you need people to want electric cars and electric heating.
“And for that, your number one priority should be to make electricity cheap.
But Net Zero legislation has forced us to do the opposite.
“Making electricity expensive puts electrification out of reach for ordinary families.
“It’s moving our industry to more polluting countries overseas and forcing us to import back those same goods with higher emissions.
“That is not improving the climate. It’s madness, especially when electrification is a far bigger prize than perfectly clean electricity when it comes to reducing emissions.”
The report was welcomed by James Earl, CEO of Future Energy Networks. FEN is a trade body that helps gas networks manage the move towards energy systems of the future.
He said; “Today’s report reinforces the value of our world class gas infrastructure and the vital role it will play if we are to deliver a secure, affordable and increasingly decarbonised energy system.”
He said green fuels such as biomethane could also play a key role, adding: “Using the gas system does not mean sacrificing our climate ambitions, but it does mean a more affordable approach to decarbonisation for all.”
The Government believes that the “flawed” proposals in the report would leave the energy system more exposed to gas price volatility, with price spikes more likely.
Ditching the carbon taxes could lead to trade tariffs with Europe, experts have warned.
Further, the cost of building and operating a new gas station is higher than renewable sources of generation, according to Government data.
Ms Fahnbulleh said: “Labour is investing in more clean energy jobs, cutting tax on electricity bills to give families breathing space this winter and we’re taking action to tackle the climate crisis and bring down bills for good. Kemi Badenoch would put jobs at risk and increase bills.
“As global fossil fuel prices continue to rise amid conflict overseas and wildfires rage across the UK, we can’t turn our back on clean power.
“That won’t bring down bills and it won’t address the climate crisis. The Tories don’t have a clue.”