The Prime Minister’s announcement of a carbon-free electricity network by 2035 is welcome.

But we need to see concrete action now, which makes explicit the preference for carbon-free electricity generation.

Battery storage at scale is essential to make this a reality, to ensure renewable, clean energy can be stored and intermittency issues can be tackled, so we can move away from fossil fuel generation.

To achieve this, two things must happen.

Ofgem must change the way batteries are treated when connecting to the grid, as they are currently unfairly penalised when they are clearly part of the solution.

Secondly, more long-term contracts for services must be made available to encourage an uptake in investment ahead of the 2035 date.

This will reduce costs for consumers and enhance security of supply. Without these changes, the Prime Minister’s statements will remain as mere ambition.

Ultimately, it is action that is needed, not arbitrary targets.

James Basden

Founder director at Zenobe Energy

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