An expert in energy law has outlined concerns that Boris Johnson will announce a “deviation” to the UK energy transition next week.
Professor Peter Cameron, director of the Dundee University centre for Energy, Petroleum and Mineral Law and Policy said his institution believes there’s going to be a “rollback” of energy transition measures announced by the government to date.
It comes as Boris Johnson is due to unveil a new energy supply strategy for the UK next week in a bid to protect consumers from spiraling energy prices in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine.
Measures including a relaxation of incoming climate checkpoint rules for North Sea fields and prolonging the life of the West Burton A coal plant are reportedly being considered.
The Prime Minister has publicly voiced support for the North Sea in the run-up too, hosting industry leaders at Downing Street this week.
Speaking at the Courier Business Conference on Thursday, Professor Cameron said the COP26 conference was “not all that long ago” but recent events have reinforced the government’s duty to protect its people.
© Supplied by Dundee University“Our view is really there’s going to be a rollback of the energy transition measures that we’ve seen so far by the very government that is supposed to be doing a lot to promote it.
“We’ll see next week from the Prime Minister’s measures on energy supply strategy what is going to happen at UK level. Personally I’m not too optimistic. I think there’s likely to be some deviation from what seemed to be the energy transition plan.”
If any kind of rollback does occur, Professor Cameron said it would be an opportunity for the Scottish Government “to show its commitment” to the transition.
He also pointed to the need for government not to implement knee-jerk reaction policies in the wake of the current crisis.
“Businesses too need certainty if they’re going to invest and governments, for this process, have to avoid an understandable tendency to make sudden and unexpected policy changes.
“There’s been a lot of this in continental Europe in renewable energy in the last decade. It’s not unusual and it’s not healthy. Businesses do need to have legal security if they’re going to invest on scale in the energy transition.
“Finally, any transition has to be fair and it has to be seen to be fair. We are very keen on the idea of a just transition, and that means governments have to intervene to ensure that costs of the transition do not fall on those who are most vulnerable.”
