In this IEA Briefing, we analyse Reform UK's newly announced energy policies with Andy Mayer, the IEA's energy analyst and CEO. The discussion covers four key policies: a windfall tax on renewable power, a solar farm tax, a ban on battery energy storage systems, and legislation to force National Grid to underground cable installation.
Andy breaks down each policy, explaining that while Reform UK has been making sensible points about net zero's challenges, their proposed solutions raise concerns. He discusses how the windfall tax largely duplicates existing legislation, questions the food security argument behind the solar farm tax, challenges the logic of banning battery storage systems, and highlights the enormous costs of mandatory underground cable installation.
The conversation provides valuable context around energy market regulations, subsidy schemes, and the importance of technology-neutral approaches. Andy emphasises that the focus should be on deregulation and letting energy markets work efficiently, rather than creating new restrictions for specific industries.
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