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The UK government has said increasing its reliance on gas-fired power is necessary to ensure energy security, adding some 5 GW in new capacity as old plants close, Reuters reports. “Without gas backing up renewables, we face the genuine prospect of blackouts… We will not let ourselves be put in that position,” UK Energy Security and Net Zero Minister Claire Coutinho said. The plan for new gas-fired power plants comes despite commitments to decarbonize the UK’s electricity grid by the mid-2030s. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he would “not gamble with [Britain’s] energy security,” The Financial Times writes.
Gas is still the UK’s biggest source of electricity: Gas-fired power plants contribute nearly 40% of the country’s electricity on average, and that number rises significantly when wind turbine output lags, according to the Financial Times.
Green activists are not happy: Critics argue this move undermines efforts pushing for decarbonizing the power network through renewable energy projects, according to The Guardian. “The government has missed opportunities to build out the full offshore-wind pipeline, to make gains in energy efficiency, or address clunky network connection times – all factors that mean new gas plants have been announced,” a climate think tank E3G analyst said.
Germany has launched a bidding process for subsidies worth EUR 4 bn to help energy-intensive industries transition to green production, Reuters reports. Industries like steel, glass, paper, and chemicals will receive 15-year subsidies through a competitive bidding process in exchange for lowering carbon emissions from their production process. Despite initial plans for larger subsidies, the program was scaled back due to legal constraints on government spending for climate projects.
The US has unveiled a new strategy to integrate EV charging stations and hydrogen fueling infrastructure along key road freight corridors, Bloomberg reports. The move seeks to decarbonize US supply chains with long-haul trucks carrying over 70% of freight in the country. There are also plans to establish an affordable charging and hydrogen refueling network for heavy trucks by 2040. Officials want to support the integration of zero-emission 18-wheelers to reduce fuel costs and pollution along highways with heavy traffic. There are only 92 charging stations capable of supporting heavy trucks presently available across the country.
