RE: Wind and Solar taxes ...13 Feb 2025 00:05
Saw Richard Tice say this earlier and also looks like Reform is after BESS, this will be difficult to achieve in the short term as by the time Reform can come to power most of the UK energy will be from wind/solar and mostly only gas backup left which is very expensive to run. The problem is renewable energy is not viable without subsidies and if they hit renewable energy by taking away subsides and put on more taxes (already a generator tax on renewables) this will put energy costs through the stratosphere (already through the roof) or they will just shut down which is not an option, it will require a whole new generation of power stations to be built very quickly as the gas backup ones are too expensive to run for anything but a short time.
In generally I like Reform’s polices but this is too much interference in the market (including farmers IHT solar tax), IMO the best course of action is to take away subsidies and additional taxes EPL etc, allow NS drilling and fracking and let the market decide, this will end up with renewable being phased out as the current kit comes to the end of it’s natural life with Nuclear, Gas, Coal and Oil taking over. The one thing we know from history is if you interfere with the market you do not get good results as this Labour government are finding out.
This will cause chaos for UK energy supply as nobody will want to put any money in renewable because of Reform and nobody will want to or be able to put any money in fossils fuels while Labour in power when there is already an issue without enough generation at present.
One thing we do know this will send Ed Milibrain apoplectic.
But of course unlocking Britain’s vast oil and gas reserves will bring great benefit to the UK, cheaper gas therefore cheaper energy, more income from gas and oil, more tax revenues, more jobs to name but a few and all done without increasing worlds C02 emission more than a faction of a % at most.