Net Zero Watch press release 6 December 2024 The costs of Ed Miliband The headlines UK Pricey power Late to the party The cost of Ed Miliband Nuclear shutdown relief A slight retreat from Net Zero Int

Net Zero Watch press release

6 December 2024

The costs of Ed Miliband

The headlines

UK

  • Pricey power

  • Late to the party

  • The cost of Ed Miliband

  • Nuclear shutdown relief

  • A slight retreat from Net Zero

International

  • Motor industry mayhem continues in Germany

  • Saudis say no

  • Green disappointment

  • Eco-authoritarianism to the fore

Etc

From the blog

  • How civil servants deceived us

UK

Pricey power

New 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 party

MPs 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 Miliband

There 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 relief

With 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 Zero

The Government’s pledge to fully decarbonise the grid by 2030 was watered down to 95%.

International

Motor industry mayhem continues in Germany

With tens of thousands of layoffs announced, Andrew Neil condemned greenery for killing the German motor industry.

Saudis say no

The Saudi Arabian energy minister said that Net Zero would never happen.

Green disappointment

The EU signalled that it was no longer going to fund green NGOs’ lobbying activities.

Eco-authoritarianism to the fore

A UN-led effort to suppress dissent on climate and energy policy has been launched. The UK is one of its major backers.

Etc…

This is Money looked at how high electricity prices are causing industrial collapse in Germany.

In a major technological breakthrough, a British firm managed to weld a nuclear reactor vessel in 24 hours, a job that would previously have taken a year. Cost savings would appear to be on the way.

The emininent economist Sir Dieter Helm caused for a new start for energy policy, this time featuring realism.

Chris Stark, the civil servant to is head of “Mission Control” at the Energy Department, was caught trying to defend the Government on social media.

Mon, Dec 02

How civil servants deceived us

Six weeks ago, I explained how Professor Gordon Hughes and I wrote to Jeremy Pocklington, the Permanent Secretary at DESNZ, asking him to explain why his department’s predictions of the levelised cost

 Read More 

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