In a major vindication for clean energy advocates, a new independent expert analysis has conclusively shown that achieving 100% clean power in the UK by 2030 is not only feasible but highly advantageous. The report from the National Energy System Operator (NESO) debunks claims from critics who argued the goal was unrealistic and provides compelling evidence that a rapid transition to renewables will lead to cheaper, more secure electricity while creating thousands of good jobs across Britain.
Clean Power Cheaper and More Secure
One of the key findings of the NESO analysis is that moving to a fully clean power system by 2030 will result in lower costs for households and businesses. By breaking free from volatile international fossil fuel markets, the UK can take control of its energy supply and insulate consumers from sudden price spikes. As Energy Secretary Ed Miliband noted:
Clean power by 2030 can lead to cheaper, more secure electricity for households, it breaks the stranglehold of the dictators and the petrostates, and it will deliver good jobs and economic growth across this country in the industries of the future.
– Ed Miliband, UK Energy Secretary
The report makes clear that far from being a risky endeavor, rapidly scaling up renewables is the surest path to energy security and affordability. With its abundant wind and solar resources, the UK is ideally positioned to become a clean energy powerhouse.
Thousands of Good Green Jobs
Another major benefit of the 2030 clean power target, according to the analysis, will be a surge in well-paying green jobs as the UK ramps up deployment of wind, solar, nuclear, and other clean technologies. The government estimates the investment kicked off by its first carbon capture and storage projects alone will generate 4,000 new industrial roles.
Crucially, policymakers are putting in place measures to ensure these opportunities are created within the UK, spurring a renaissance for Britain’s manufacturing and industrial heartlands that have suffered from decades of neglect. As Miliband put it:
We will carry out our mission in a way that creates well-paid jobs here in Britain…This is just a glimpse of what the clean energy revolution can do for our industries, communities and economy.
– Ed Miliband, UK Energy Secretary
Broad Support from Industry to Unions
Notably, the NESO report’s conclusions are backed by a wide array of stakeholders, from business groups like the CBI to unions like Prospect to energy giants like National Grid, Scottish Power and SSE. There is a growing consensus that pursuing clean power is not only necessary to combat climate change but represents a once-in-a-generation economic opportunity the UK cannot afford to miss.
The cross-cutting support reflects how the government’s proactive, hands-on approach — using its power to drive public and private investment toward tackling great challenges — has aligned interests and unleashed action that was previously thought impossible. In just its first few months, the administration has:
- Lifted the ban on onshore wind in England
- Delivered record numbers of clean energy projects through renewables auctions
- Granted consent to major new solar farms
- Launched the Great British Energy public clean power company
Britain at a Crossroads
With the NESO report in hand, the UK now faces a stark choice, in the words of the Chancellor: invest or decline. For too long, the country has been vulnerable to the whims of petrostates and lagged in the global race for the industries of the future. By seizing the potential of clean power, Britain can begin a new chapter of energy security, industrial renewal, and economic growth.
The analysis leaves no doubt that fully decarbonizing electricity by 2030 is the right path forward. As Secretary Miliband declared in response, “We choose investment over decline.” After years of delay and inaction, the UK finally has a roadmap to a brighter, cleaner, more prosperous energy future — and the evidence it’s time to step on the accelerator.
