Trade association Solar Energy UK (SEUK) says it expects solar generation to “considerably exceed” the target set in the Clean Power 2030 Action Plan.
In what the UK government calls the most ambitious reforms to the country’s energy system in a generation, setting out a plan for achieving clean power by 2030, the Clean Power Action Plan builds on pathways set by the National Energy System Operator (NESO).
SEUK criticised NESO’s Clean Power 2030 (CP30) report. It said the plan showed a “concerning lack of ambition” for solar, arguing that the report betrays a “limited understanding” of solar generation and battery energy storage.
The Clean Power Action Plan set out by energy secretary Ed Miliband on Friday (13 December) sets the objective of reaching 45GW-47GW solar generation capacity by 2030. In response to NESO’s CP30, Solar Energy UK published analysis showing that targeting 60GW solar generation by 2030 could significantly lower the cost of electricity.
The government’s Clean Power Action Plan concedes there is “scope to exceed” the 45GW-47GW figure, “subject to system need, noting for example the potential of rooftop solar to boost deployment”.
“The solar industry persistently smashes through expectations of growth, in the UK and worldwide, and I have no doubt that it will continue to do so in the coming years. Seeking 45GW is a modest target that we can be sure to exceed,” said Chris Hewett, chief executive of Solar Energy UK.
Hewett also heads up the UK’s Solar Taskforce alongside the energy secretary, which will publish its solar roadmap early next year. A key element of this, SEUK said, is the skills agenda. The trade association will participate in a government-industry forum on the supply chain and workforce convened by the Clean Power 2030 Unit and the Office of Clean Energy Jobs.
Over the summer, SEUK and the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) partnered to deliver an Installer Training Hub, hosting presentations, tutorials, product demonstrations, Q&A sessions and interactive learning sessions to teach theory and practical skills.
Clean Power 2030 Action Plan calls for grid reform
The Clean Power Action Plan notes that the grid connection queue has grown tenfold in the last five years and contains the equivalent of 739GW capacity—many of the projects in the queue are speculative or do not have the funding or planning permission to progress.
SEUK said it agrees “wholeheartedly” with the suggestion that grid overhaul is necessary to meeting 2030 clean power targets. In terms of regional capacity breakdowns, a total of 10.8GW has been allocated to transmission-connected solar for 2030, with 36.2GW at distribution voltage, which is in line with SEUK recommendations.
NESO’s CP30 set an expectation of at least 22.6GW of battery energy storage in 2030, rising to 27.4GW in its ‘Further Flex and Renewables’ pathway, up from 4.7GW in 2023. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) echoes this, with the Clean Power 2030 Action Plan projecting dramatic expansion in the battery energy storage sector up to 2030.
However, SEUK points out that projections of growth in the sector are limited by referring only to systems intended to store power for a short time; a definition of long-term energy storage has not yet been made.
A boost for solar in the Clean Power Action Plan
Solar Energy UK notes that the plan acknowledges solar developments’ role in nature restoration and will engage in the government’s invitation to submit ideas on encouraging “nature-positive best practice into energy infrastructure development”.
The transition to clean power has been heralded by the current government as a means to reducing energy bills for households and businesses “for good”. This focus on potential energy independence for households could be achieved through solar and other forms of microgeneration, SEUK said.
The government plans to expand the renewables auction process so projects can get funding agreed before their planning permission is finalised, stopping delays and bringing more projects online. As rumoured, ministers have said that 2025 will see the biggest ever contracts for difference (CfD) auction for clean energy projects in the UK.
It also commits to pro-consumer reforms to help households have more choice and access to cheaper energy tariffs.
For trade association RenewableUK’s director of future electricity systems, Barnaby Wharton, “the Clean Power Action Plan will be considered a landmark moment for the clean energy sector.
“Not only do investors have a clear Government target of establishing a lowest cost electricity system dominated by wind and solar, but they now have a roadmap to achieving it.”
More coverage of the Clean Power 2030 Action Plan can be found on our sister site, Current±.
