UKPricey powerNew data confirmed that the UK has the most expensive industrial electricity prices in Europe. And Britons were warned to expect bills to soar for the foreseeable future. Late to the partyMPs from the North East of Scotland warned of the imminent threat to the North Sea oil and gas industry from Net Zero policies. Unfortunately, they represented the Conservatives and the SNP, both of which have long supported decarbonisation policies. Shell spoke ominously of the impact of the Government’s tax policies. The cost of Ed MilibandThere was a furore over the integrity of Ed Miliband’s cost estimates. We at Net Zero Watch were in the forefront (see blog post below). The Centre for Policy Study took aim at the carbon cost and gas-price assumptions he used. The Shadow Secretary of State, Claire Coutinho, wondered about why none of our institutions warned of the problems with the decarbonisation drive. Nuclear shutdown reliefWith power cuts in the offing, the government announced a delay to the closure of the UK’s remaining nuclear plants. And in further good news, campaigners failed in a bid to block the Sizewell C project. A slight retreat from Net ZeroThe Government’s pledge to fully decarbonise the grid by 2030 was watered down to 95%.
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