The government has delayed the release of its new energy supply strategy after the Treasury raised concerns over costs, the BBC reports.
Speaking on March 9, prime minister Boris Johnson said that the strategy would be released within “days” to help make the UK more energy independent and crackdown on soaring prices following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The plan was expected to include strategies for ramping up production of nuclear energy and renewables, alongside increased oil and gas sourcing from the North Sea, and measures for making homes more energy efficient.
However, having been due to be unveiled this week, Downing Street has said that the revealing of the plans will now be pushed back.
Confirming on Monday that the strategy’s release would be put on hold, the prime minister’s official spokesman said that it was “right” that the government takes “the right amount of time” to compile such a “significant piece of work”.
He added that the new plans for publication would be set out “as soon as possible.”
The BBC reports that the delay is a result of concerns raised by the Treasury, who cited the long-term cost implications as a sticking point.
Much of the expected costs of delivering on the strategy will fall outside of the government’s current spending review, with many of the plans outlined in the strategy set to take years and in some cases decades to execute.
While committing to longer-term spending in future reviews before they have happened is proving a bone of contention, there are also concerns from the Treasury regarding the nuclear energy production side of the plans.
The PM has set a target of producing 25 per cent of the UK’s energy using nuclear power by the year 2050, but the costs of constructing enough plants to render that target realistic are proving to be another obstacle.
The BBC also reports that there is believed to be division within the cabinet over other elements of the strategy, such as reviewing the government’s position on fracking and re-examining planning laws to make it easier for onshore wind farms to be approved for construction.
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