Greenpeace responds to the government’s renewable energy auction announcement

Responding to the government’s renewable energy auction announcement that there will only be 5GW of additional offshore wind, Ami McCarthy Greenpeace UK’s political campaigner, said:

“The government clearly needs to take a hard look at how this system is working. 5GW of offshore wind is of course welcome, but it is only about half of what is required each year to meet the government’s 2030 target. The last renewables contract auction was a catastrophic failure, and in fact the biggest disaster for clean energy in almost a decade. Because of this, the new government has an uphill battle.

“The more energy we get from renewables, the more independent we can become from volatile, expensive, polluting fossil fuels that have caused bill-payers so much recent anguish. If we don’t do this, we will be utterly failing people and the planet. Boosting homegrown renewable energy is the best way to ensure our energy independence and security, lower our bills, and tackle the climate crisis.

“This urgently needs to be followed up with a much bigger auction next year, as well as investment for faster grid connections,  better planning, and more storage to hold the green power for when it’s needed.”