Work of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

Status / emerging findings

• Clean Power 2030 is technically achievable but requires 'unprecedented' government intensity and must double the previous renewable build rate—next two CfD auctions need to procure 52 GW (twice the previous record), creating significant delivery risk
• Grid connection delays are a critical bottleneck: 750 GW queued when only 200–220 GW needed by 2030, plus 10–12 year waits reported; Ofgem's network reforms are on track (71 of 80 critical projects) but require planning consent by end-2026
• Government expanded warm homes discount to 2.7 million families and committed to £150 bill reduction from April (£300 by 2030), but Secretary of State acknowledged 'we are going to need to do more' on affordability
• Demand-side flexibility identified as 'biggest single piece of the puzzle we have not yet cracked'—scaling from 2 GW to 12 GW demand response is essential but progress unclear
• Government lacks credible pathway for phasing out unabated gas while maintaining investment in it as transition fuel; Climate Change Committee funding for adaptation routed through DEFRA creates governance ambiguity

Why it matters

The UK's ability to meet its 2035 emissions target and energy security depends on delivering Clean Power 2030—a goal that requires unprecedented speed and scale, but the committee's evidence suggests significant delivery risks and unresolved questions about fairness, grid capacity, and investor confidence.

Tone arc

Started cooperative and strategic (January–February 2025: CCC and Ofgem sessions, expert panels exploring feasibility). Shifted to pointed scrutiny by summer (July 2025: pressed Miliband on industrial energy costs and Reform party net zero criticism). Returned to technical oversight in February 2026 (unpublished China MOU, uncertainty on data centre demand impacts acknowledged by Secretary of State).

Key witnesses

Rt Hon Ed Miliband MP (Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero), Jeremy Pocklington CB (Permanent Secretary, DESNZ), Jonathan Brearley (Chief Executive, Ofgem), Emma Pinchbeck (Chief Executive, Climate Change Committee), Chris Stark (expert witness, clean power feasibility), David Peattie (Group CEO, Nuclear Decommissioning Authority), Clive Maxwell CB CBE (National Electricity System Operator), Tim Jarvis (Ofgem)