Renew Extra Weekly

 It’s the energy policy issue of the decade. Power bills have risen and renewables have expanded, so the link is obvious to the likes of Reform UK. But Energy Secretary Edward  Miliband says the only way to cut bills is to push green technology. Well they do cost, but he says less overall than fossil fuel.   As he noted, generation costs have already fallen ‘Strike prices for solar and onshore wind in our last auction, AR6, were nearly 50% cheaper than the levelised cost estimate to build and operate a new gas plant. Offshore wind, despite global cost pressures, was also cheaper than new gas.’  He admitted that there were other options but said ‘we won’t buy at any price and if specific technologies aren’t competitive, we will look elsewhere’.   Well that’s not what seems to have happened with nuclear, judging by the rising cost of Hinkley and the total nuclear spend, with Jonathon Porritt claiming that the Energy Department spent 60% its £8.6bn 2024-2...