UK’s £240 Billion Green Power Plan Runs Into a Political Storm
The UK is facing mounting political and economic pressure on one of its campaign promises to achieve a clean power grid by 2030.
Electricity pylons and solar panels at Cleve Hill Solar Park near Faversham, UK.
Photographer: Chris Ratcliffe/BloombergIt’s an ambitious project by any measure: 70 million solar panels, 6,000 wind turbines, and 4,500 kilometers of underwater electricity cables.
All told, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s plan to deliver a carbon-free power grid by the end of this decade will require about £240 billion ($325 billion) of investment, thousands more skilled specialists, and a complete overhaul of the planning system. The policy is a crucial part of the Labour government’s push to revive economic growth, and has made the UK a flagbearer for green ambitions (and a lightning rod for President Donald Trump’s ire) at a time when many authorities and corporates around the world are loudly pulling back.