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Sky News
22-05-2025
- Business
- Sky News
Can Labour's new local cash idea win over Reform voters in its own heartlands?
Over the next decade, a wave of solar and wind projects will sweep across the UK to meet both net zero goals and growing energy demand from data centres and AI. With building comes disruption, and sometimes local opposition that scuppers projects altogether. To sweeten the deal, the government is considering requiring clean energy developers to fund local initiatives like community centres, sports, apprenticeships and transport links. "It is all about building towards a point where communities genuinely feel they've got a stake in their future and they're better off as a result," said energy minister Michael Shanks. These power projects will pop up nationwide, but many of the major ones are headed straight to the heart of Reform UK territory. Lincolnshire - which just elected a Reform county council and mayor - has valuable old coal power infrastructure that can be repurposed to connect solar farms to the grid. Across the rest of the windswept east coast - Reform's heartlands - jaded seaside towns and ports will build much of the infrastructure needed to bring offshore wind power on to land. But far from laying out the welcome mat, Reform leaders have vowed to "attack, hinder, delay, obstruct" green energy, which they call a "massive con". So will payouts for parish halls and park upgrades be enough for Labour to win over Reform voters who feel left behind? Funds 'make rural communities viable' Industry body Solar Energy UK says many renewable energy developers already voluntarily cough up cash. Take Crossdykes wind farm in Dumfries and Galloway. It hands out around £500,000 a year to the local area - funding youth projects, childcare and specialised spaces for neurodivergent children. Resident Nick Jennings, who oversees the fund, says in a world "increasingly strapped for cash" the money has made rural communities not just "viable" but even "attractive" - keeping young people rooted in their hometowns. Labour, however, says not all developers are pulling their weight. Hence it is expected to launch a consultation, proposing any renewable energy project over 5 megawatts should be required to invest in the community it affects. Reform won't want to be seen as impacting jobs and the economy The government knows that cash sells - not least in the cost of living crisis. When people are asked what makes them more likely to support a local solar farm, "top of that list is always money being put back into the community... particularly among Reform voters," said Ed Hodgson, who runs polls and focus groups on energy for More In Common. Reform voters are also twice as likely to support renewables than oppose them, motivated by energy security rather than climate concerns. And while Reform's core base is more sceptical of climate policies than other voters, that's less true for the majority of voters it drew in at the recent local elections. "Reform UK don't want to be seen as impacting local jobs and the local economy... they'll want to avoid falling on the wrong side of the argument there," said Beth Kühnel Mann, senior research executive at YouGov. No one for Reform was available to comment on Labour's proposals. An elaborate ploy? So is all this an elaborate ploy by Labour to woo Reform supporters? "Not at all," said Mr Shanks. The party was talking about the plans well before it took a hammering in the recent local elections. He told Sky News it's about saying to people: "If you are a community that's hosting really nationally significant infrastructure, you're doing the country a favour... [so] you should benefit from that directly." Labour can't be complacent But Labour can't afford to be complacent - and it has to overcome the powerful "Farage factor". Support for scrapping net zero among Reform voters skyrockets - by 30 percentage points - if they know party leader Nigel Farage calls for it. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Energy Secretary Ed Miliband struggle to generate that kind of pull, said Mr Hodgson. "The government's on the back foot in their ability to convince people." And while climate change is not a very salient issue for Reform voters anyway, that is slowly starting to shift. Broader public support for net zero may also be wavering, YouGov finds, amid pressure from Reform and the Tories. In reality, Labour is going to have a hard time "selling" anything. "People don't trust politicians, don't trust the government, and ultimately don't want to really hear anything from them other than what they're going to do in the here and now to improve their lives and deal with the issues they care about," said Ms Mann. "Tying these projects to outcomes that are tangible, that people will be able to see and feel is likely to be a good thing for the party." But the clock is ticking to woo any of these voters. The major challenge for Labour, as with much of its energy policies, is to ensure people feel the benefits well before the next general election. That won't be easy.
Business News Wales
14-05-2025
- Business
- Business News Wales
'Ambitious' Clean Energy Path Needed for Wales to Capitalise on Benefits of Renewables
Wales must pursue an 'ambitious pathway' to fully realise the benefits of renewable energy. The call came as a major new report by RenewableUK Cymru, in collaboration with Solar Energy UK, and Marine Energy Wales, outlined a national assessment of the full economic, social and environmental value of all renewable technologies out to 2035, and a clear roadmap for realising their potential in Wales. 'Unleashing the Full Value of Welsh Renewables' was launched at the Senedd. Backed by analysis from BiGGAR Economics, the research suggests that by embracing an 'ambitious' renewables strategy, Wales could deliver: 17.9GW of installed renewable capacity £46.9 billion in private investment, with more than £10 billion flowing to Welsh businesses. Nearly 8,000 skilled, high-paid jobs with salaries 26% higher the Welsh average in every part of Wales. Almost £2 billion in tax revenue to support public services, with onshore wind the highest contributor to local authorities. £183 million in direct community benefit funds for local initiatives. 13 million tonnes of CO2 emissions saved by 2035 – the equivalent of taking almost 10 million cars off the road. The report models three distinct economic scenarios for Wales's renewable energy future — Current Targets, Increased Ambition, and Maximising Renewables. Director of RenewableUK Cymru Jessica Hooper said: 'The analysis makes clear that only by pursuing the most ambitious pathway can Wales fully realise the economic and societal benefits on offer for investment, job creation, community wealth-building and nature restoration. This isn't just another report — it's a call to action. 'This is an opportunity too big to ignore — or to delay. We must invest in grid infrastructure, ports, skills, and planning systems to capture this opportunity before it slips through our fingers.' Supporting the report launch, Eluned Morgan, First Minister of Wales, said: 'Scaling up renewables is not just about hitting climate targets, it is a major economic opportunity for Wales. 'We have the natural resources, industrial capability and talent to become a world leader in renewable energy, but to seize that opportunity we must be bold. Unlocking our full renewable energy potential means powering a new era of green growth, skilled jobs and shared prosperity in every part of Wales. This report makes clear the size of the prize. With the right policies, investment and political will, Wales can lead, and we intend to.' The report also shows how renewables align with the Well-being of Future Generations Act, supporting 86% of national well-being indicators and contributing directly to all seven goals, including a resilient, prosperous, and globally responsible Wales. This landmark research comes at a critical time for Wales, says RenewableUK Cymru, as momentum builds around a dedicated Renewables Sector Deal. The organisation says the report offers a robust evidence base, a clear pathway forward, and identifies the key policy levers needed to form a strategic partnership between government and industry. It calls on decision-makers to set minimum deployment targets for all renewable technologies, which it describes as a 'vital step toward delivering the Maximising Renewables scenario and unlocking the full economic potential for Wales'.
Sky News
28-04-2025
- Business
- Sky News
End the 'absolute scandal' of new homes built without solar panels, government urged
The government is being urged to end the "absolute scandal" of new homes being built without solar panels. Doing so would cut both household bills and greenhouse gases that cause climate change, the Local Government Association (LGA) said in a new report. Just four in 10 new homes in England come with solar power, according to separate figures from the industry body Solar Energy UK. Although that is a significant three-fold increase over the space of a year, the LGA said making it mandatory would benefit bill-payers and the climate for years to come, saving people £440 per year. The UK lags behind its neighbours in the European Union, which last year adopted new legislation demanding all new residential buildings come with solar panels from 2030. Greenpeace UK called it an "absolute scandal that homes are built without rooftop solar panels in this day and age". Its campaigner, Lily Rose Ellis, said: "Given the soaring cost of electricity, our desperate need to cut planet-heating emissions, and the relatively low cost of installation to housebuilders, solar panels on all new builds should be mandatory." Last year, Labour promised a "rooftop revolution" that would see millions more homes fitted with solar panels. But they have been accused of wavering over proposals to make it mandatory, as it also courts the house-building industry to help it meet its target to build 1.5 million homes during this parliament. 1:55 The LGA wants the government to allocate them long-term funding in the upcoming spending review so they can help the country meet net zero. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said they plan to "maximise the installation of solar panels on new homes" in its long-delayed new regulations, the Future Homes Standard, due later this year. The Home Builders Federation said "Moving forward, to meet the ever more challenging carbon reductions set by government, we will see solar on the overwhelming majority of new homes, albeit it is not appropriate in every situation." Pylon rows The push on solar power is part of the government's broader plans to ensure all the UK's electricity comes from green sources by 2030. Electricity demand is also growing as the country switches to electric cars and heating, and builds more data centres. All this requires more wind and solar farms, as well as 1,000 kilometres of new cables to carry the electricity from where it is generated - often a wind farm in the North Sea - to where it is used in urban areas far away. In parts of the country like East Anglia, a row has been simmering over whether to run those cables overhead on pylons or, to protect countryside views, underground. A hefty new report by the Institution of Engineering and Technology today weighed in on the debate, finding underground cables are on average 4.5 times more expensive than overhead lines. Liam Hardy, head of research at thinktank Green Alliance, said: "Those costs need to go somewhere. They go on to all of our electricity bills. And of course, it's the poorest in society for whom those bills make up a bigger percentage of their income. He added: "What they want to see is value for money as we build out that clean infrastructure that we need." The government has promised communities disrupted by the new infrastructure that they should reap some of the benefits, including giving households near new pylons £2,500 off their energy bills over 10 years.
