PM tells Conservative conference that removing gas as power source will help protect against price surges<\/p>\n
Last modified on Mon 4 Oct 2021 09.59 EDT<\/p>\n
The prime minister has confirmed plans to eliminate fossil fuels from UK electricity generation by 2035.<\/p>\n
Speaking during the Conservative party conference, Boris Johnson said the proposed shift would help the UK decarbonise, while softening the impact of the kind of gas price fluctuations that have prompted fears of a winter energy crisis in recent weeks.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat I\u2019m saying is we can do for our entire energy production by 2035 what we\u2019re doing with internal combustion engines in vehicles by 2030,\u201d he said, during a visit to a Network Rail site in Manchester.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd what we\u2019re also saying is that by 2035, looking at the progress we\u2019re making in wind power, where we lead the world now in offshore wind, looking at what we can do with other renewable sources, carbon capture and storage with hydrogen potentially, we think that we can get to complete clean energy production by 2035.\u201d<\/p>\n
The UK generated 43% of its electricity from renewable sources in 2020 but gas-fired power plants still account for a significant proportion.<\/p>\n
As the prime minister confirmed plans to decarbonise the electricity grid, gas was providing just under a third of the UK\u2019s electricity demand, at 11.4GW, according to National Grid data.<\/p>\n
Britain\u2019s reliance on gas, for heating as well as electricity, has been highlighted by price increases that have prompted warnings of a winter energy crisis, with families facing \u201cdesperate choices\u201d as bills go up.<\/p>\n
A dozen energy suppliers have gone bust this year and more failures are predicted despite a rise in the government-posed cap on bills.<\/p>\n
Johnson said removing gas from electricity generation would help safeguard against future price surges.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe advantage of that is that it will mean that, for the first time, the UK is not dependent on hydrocarbons coming from overseas with all the vagaries in hydrocarbon prices and the risk that poses for people\u2019s pockets and for the consumer,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will be reliant on our own clean power generation, which will help us also to keep costs down.\u201d<\/p>\n