• The REA welcomes National Grid ESO’s Future Energy Scenarios 2023 report;
• The report reiterates that a complete range of renewable and clean technologies are required to reach net zero;
• Scenarios demonstrate that alongside speeding up deployment, there must be further focus on the infrastructure and systems required to integrate technologies together to decarbonise our power, heat, and transport energy demands;
• Government must use the upcoming Autumn statement to detail policies that directly deliver the most ambitious forecast in these scenarios.

The REA (Association for Renewable Energy and Clean Technology) welcomes National Grid ESO’s Future Energy Scenarios 2023 report released today.

The report demonstrates that there is no one solution to decarbonise our energy system, reiterating the importance of ensuring a complete range of renewable and clean energy technologies are required to reach net zero.

This includes, but is not limited to, 70 GW of solar, 17 GW of hydrogen production, over 130 GWh of energy storage, the continued use of bioresources especially for delivering negative emissions, sticking to strict targets for the elimination of sales of petrol and diesel cars, and a rapid expansion in the deployment of low carbon heating systems, all to be in place before the 2040s.

The scenarios demonstrate that alongside speeding up deployment of these technologies, it is vital to focus on the infrastructure and systems required to integrate these technologies to decarbonise our power, heat, and transport energy demands.

Mark Sommerfeld, Deputy Director of Policy at the REA (Association for Renewable Energy and Clean Technology) said:

“The REA particularly welcomes the importance placed by the FES key recommendations on delivering the infrastructure and systems required to integrate the full range of renewables and clean technologies needed to decarbonise our power, heat and transport systems. This includes delivering strategic network reinforcement, grid connection reforms, infrastructure for delivering negative emissions and delivering both power distribution and transport flexibility.

“As was recently highlighted by the Climate Change Committee, there is significant concern that despite the Government’s strong targets and Powering Up Britain Strategy, we currently lack the detailed policies that would see these technologies and systems actually delivered.

“These scenarios must be taken seriously by government. The REA emphasises that the upcoming Autumn budget should now be used to detail policies designed to deliver the most ambitious of these Future Energy Scenarios and ensure the UK remains an attractive market for low carbon investment, or risk falling further behind in the UK’s decarbonisation targets.”

—ENDS—