The report supports the view of Energy Networks Association (ENA), which represents the UK's electricity and gas network operators, that bolder action is needed by the government to ensure the 2035 target to decarbonise the energy grid is reached.
The energy industry body is renewing its calls for Ofgem to be given a net zero mandate to help ensure that the gas and electricity investment decisions they make are aligned with the 2035 target.
Alongside this, it believes network operators should have more flexibility to invest in infrastructure now, so that network capacity is ready when it is needed. The current regulatory environment, which favours investing at the point of need, risks slowing delivery down.
Finally, ENA believes planning should be reformed to ensure there is a coherent delivery framework that ensures national priorities are effectively translated into local decisions.
Lawrence Slade, Chief Executive of ENA, which represents UK energy networks said:
“If we are to hit the government’s decarbonisation targets, secure energy investment in an increasingly competitive global market and protect long term energy security for customers then the government needs to be acting faster now.
“The CCC’s report makes clear that the solution to this challenge must involve both gas and electricity, yet policy progress is lacking. While we welcome the CCC’s assessment of the importance of hydrogen transport and storage infrastructure in delivering decarbonisation, we need to see rapid progress across both renewables and hydrogen deployment to make the 2035 target achievable.
"The networks are ready to invest, innovate and deliver but a lack of political action risks holding decarbonisation back.”
About us
Energy Networks Association (ENA) is the industry body representing the energy networks. Our members include every major electricity network operator in the UK. The electricity networks are at the heart of the energy transition. They directly employ more than 26,000 people in the UK, including 1,500 apprentices. They are spending and investing £33bn in our electricity grids over the coming years, to ensure safe, reliable and secure energy supplies for the millions of homes and businesses reliant on power every day.
Press contacts
You can contact ENA's press office by emailing press@energynetworks.org. For urgent or out-of-hours enquiries from journalists, please call 0204 599 7691.