Wedoany.com Report-Feb 27, The Climate Change Committee (CCC) has outlined a plan to boost renewable energy in the UK, detailed in its Seventh Carbon Budget report. Offshore wind will lead this shift, expanding from 15GW in 2023 to 88GW by 2040, a six-fold increase. Onshore wind will grow to 32GW, doubling its capacity, while solar will reach 82GW by the same year. The committee emphasized that energy storage, such as batteries, will ensure supply stability during poor weather. This requires faster grid expansion, network upgrades, and streamlined connection processes.

Electricity demand is projected to rise sharply in the 2030s, driven by electric vehicles (EVs) and heat pumps. The report maps out decarbonization by 2050, aiming for an 87% emissions cut from 1990 levels by 2040. Electrification, including cleaner grids and replacing fossil fuel systems with EVs and heat pumps, accounts for 60% of these reductions. Investment this decade will yield long-term savings, with 65% to 90% of funding from 2025 to 2050 coming from private sources. The CCC estimates annual household savings of £1400 on energy and fuel by 2050.

CCC interim chair Professor Piers Forster stated: “The committee is delighted to be able to present a good news story about how the country can decarbonise while also creating savings across the economy. We will need government and business to deliver the investment, but we are confident that this Seventh Carbon Budget offers a secure, prosperous future for the UK.” RenewableUK’s Barnaby Wharton said: “This budget puts offshore wind right at the heart of the UK’s clean electricity system, with our capacity growing sixfold between now and 2040. This is vital to meet the upsurge in electricity demand which the CCC predicts we’ll see in the 2030s, as more people take up electric vehicles and heat pumps. Building up our energy storage capacity alongside this, with more batteries and green hydrogen, will provide flexibility and strengthen the reliability of our future power system.”

Trevor Hutchings of the Renewable Energy Association noted: “The recognition that renewable and clean technologies are vital to decarbonising the UK’s economy in a cost-effective way is an important message from today’s publication. So now is the time to work at speed towards net zero and to secure the jobs, investment, environmental and energy security benefits which will flow from this.” E3G’s Ed Matthew added: “These huge savings are possible because a clean energy system is far more energy efficient and wipes out the devastating impact of spikes in gas prices, which are once again raising energy bills.” Energy UK’s Dhara Vyas remarked: “Investing in clean, home-grown energy is the best route to lower bills and ensure long-term energy security.”

The plan prioritizes renewables to meet rising demand, reduce emissions, and stabilize costs, aligning with broader economic and environmental goals for the UK.