Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

The Department for Energy Security and Net-Zero (DESNZ) was created in 2023, tasked with “securing our long-term energy supply, bringing down billsand halving inflation. The move recognises the significant impact rising prices have had on households across the country as a result of Putin’s illegal war in Ukraine, and the need to secure more energy from domestic nuclear and renewable sourcesas we seize the opportunities of net zero.”

This implies that warnings given in the Net-Zero Review, might influence actions, as it implied the current approach is not sufficient enough to deliver deep emissions cuts or seize the opportunity of the social and economic benefits of the transition.

The Government website states: "The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero will provide dedicated leadership focused on delivering security of energy supply, ensuring properly functioning markets, greater energy efficiency and seizing the opportunities of net zero to lead the world in new green industries. This year, the department will focus on easing the cost of living and delivering financial security by bringing down energy bills and keeping them down - better insulating consumers from external impacts. Longer term objectives include ensuring properly functioning energy markets, coordinating net zero objectives across government and bringing external delivery expertise to bear on its portfolio of major projects. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero is focused on the energy portfolio from the former Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS)."

The key priorities are likely to be:

• Ensuring security of winter energy supply in the longer term, redcuing energy bills and inflation.
• Ensuring the UK is on track for net zero, significantly speeding up delivery infrastructure to support economic growth.
• Improving issues around energy efficiency to meet the 15% demand reduction ambition.
• Delivering the current energy support schemes and developing longer term market reform.
• Promoting jobs and growth through investment in green industries and zero carbon economy.
• Passing the Energy Bill supporting emerging technologies and renewables.

ECA the Leading engineering services trade body has broadly welcomed the creation of the new Government Department for Energy Security and net Zero. The body, which represents 3,000 electrotechnical businesses and 66,000 professionals in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, says the move has the potential to make a step change in the efforts to reach Net Zero Carbon emissions by 2050.

Paul Reeve, ECA Director of CSR said: “We trust the new Department for Energy Security and net Zero will rapidly engage not only with the Government’s own Net Zero Carbon commitments, but also the recent recommendations of the Skidmore review, which confirmed the huge economic and other benefits of actively pursuing Net Zero. The new Department must focus on boosting UK low carbon energy from renewables and nuclear, and the skills base that will ensure safe and reliable delivery. In the context of achieving energy resilience and Net Zero, it should also review the strategic potential for tidal energy to provide a major, storable renewable energy resource for the UK.”

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