The United Kingdom begins a shift to become a “world leader” in green energy

Photo: Paul Ellis Agence France-Presse Some 20 to 30 gigawatts of offshore wind power could be created by 2030. UK offshore wind farms currently produce 14 gigawatts.

Clara Lalanne – Agence France-Presse

Published at 12:03 p.m. Updated at 12:12 p.m.

• Europe

The new British government launched its major green energy plan on Thursday. Its ambition: to make the United Kingdom a “world leader” thanks to a new public company and an agreement with the royal family to power millions of homes using offshore wind.

Barely three weeks after arriving at his official residence on Downing Street, the Labour Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, has launched this major campaign promise, which symbolises an interventionist approach on economic issues, and more proactive than the previous Conservative government on climate policies.

“I want to win the clean energy race: we have the potential, the ports, the workers, the talent, and now, a government determined to seize its opportunities,” Keir Starmer declared from Runcorn, an industrial city in the northwest of England.

A bill was tabled in Parliament on Thursday, with a view to a vote on September 5, to quickly bring about the keystone of its strategy: the creation of a public investment company called Great British Energy (GB Energy).

Endowed with 8.3 billion pounds (14.8 billion Canadian dollars) of public money over five years, this company will be used to “invest in the technologies of the future: floating wind turbines, tidal energy, nuclear,” Starmer listed, with the aim of attracting private investment.

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After fourteen years in opposition, “we are going to show that change has already started”, insisted Keir Starmer.

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He attacked the record of the conservatives, who had in recent years renounced certain climate measures. For example, they had notably decided to grant new hydrocarbon production licenses, and introduced a moratorium on the construction of onshore wind farms.

“We have lost a decade of opportunities to boost our energy security, lower bills and create skilled jobs,” Starmer denounced.

GB Energy “will work with the private sector to develop the clean energy we need, create skilled jobs […] and generate benefits for the taxpayer,” said Ed Miliband, Minister for Energy Security and Carbon Neutrality.

This public company should make it possible to lower energy bills and reduce dependence on oil or gas imports from “foreign dictators”, defended the Prime Minister.

Its financing will come from exceptional taxes levied on oil and gas companies.

Focus on offshore wind power

Scotland, where tens of thousands of people work in energy, was chosen as the location for the public company's headquarters.

This transition will be done in a “fair” way, Ed Miliband wanted to reassure, in response to the fears of thousands of workers in the fossil fuel sector.

To launch the company, the new Labour government announced an initial partnership between GB Energy and the Crown Estate, which manages the British monarchy’s vast land and sea assets.

The Crown Estate’s portfolio includes a large portion of the UK’s seabed. The company can therefore grant permits to build offshore wind farms.

The government hopes that this highly symbolic agreement will generate up to £60 billion (C$107 billion) of investment in the sector and create a broader push for green energy among industry.

According to the Crown Estate, some 20 to 30 gigawatts of additional offshore wind energy could be created by 2030 through this partnership. Enough to power the equivalent of around 20 million homes.

The UK currently produces 14 gigawatts of energy from offshore wind turbines, according to official figures.

A financial report on Wednesday showed that Crown Estate profits more than doubled last year to a record 1.1 billion pounds ($1.9 billion), thanks in part to the growth of these offshore wind farms.

As soon as it came to power, the Starmer government lifted a ban imposed by the Conservatives in 2015 on the construction of new wind farms onshore wind farms in England.