UK Could Miss 2030 Clean Power Milestone, Says Parliamentary Committee

The UK’s ambition to decarbonise 95% of its electricity system by 2030 is in jeopardy unless the Government accelerates the delivery of new energy infrastructure. That’s the stark warning issued today (4 June) in a House of Lords report titled “Power Struggle: Delivering Great Britain’s Electricity Grid Infrastructure.”

Compiled by the House of Lords Industry and Regulators Committee, the report underscores a troubling disconnect between policy ambition and real-world execution. Since launching its inquiry in January, the Committee has identified systemic hurdles—ranging from protracted planning procedures and chronic skills shortages to regulatory bottlenecks—that are hampering the rapid transformation of the national grid.

At the heart of the report is a plea for decisive reform. The Committee is urging the Government to:

• Accelerate planning approvals by streamlining bureaucratic processes.

• Provide sharper, more consistent direction to Ofgem, the UK’s energy regulator.

• Strengthen interdepartmental coordination to avoid fragmented energy strategies.

It also recommends that Whitehall commit to biannual progress reports, allocate dedicated planning resources through ring-fenced fees for local authorities, and establish a transparent framework to prioritise grid access for strategically essential sectors.

Notably, the Lords also call for transitional safeguards for consumers and businesses affected by the potential introduction of zonal electricity pricing—a policy that could, if implemented with care, simultaneously cut costs and optimise grid efficiency.

Committee chair Baroness Taylor of Bolton said: “The electricity grid is an essential part of modern life for households, businesses and transport links.

“Given the scale of changes needed to the planning, regulation and delivery of energy infrastructure, and the UK’s historic record of delivering major infrastructure projects, our report questions the feasibility of meeting the clean power target.

“Time is already running out, and there is no room for complacency. The Government and the sector must ramp up their efforts to have a chance of success.”

While the Committee acknowledged Ofgem’s recent move to prioritise key grid projects, it cautioned that scarce resources and a lack of cohesive strategic guidance could limit the regulator’s impact. Furthermore, current efforts to manage grid connection queues are overly skewed toward pre-2030 initiatives, neglecting the solar and battery storage capacity required for the mid-2030s and beyond.

The report comes on the heels of sobering forecasts by Cornwall Insight, a leading energy analytics firm, which recently projected the UK will miss its clean energy targets by significant margins. According to their analysis:

• Onshore wind deployment is likely to fall short by 10 gigawatts (GW).

• Offshore wind could miss the mark by 6GW.

• Solar generation, although growing steadily, may also lag—unless grid access is swiftly expanded.

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has pushed back against Cornwall Insight’s forecasts, insisting that Labour’s energy strategy will hit the mark. However, the Lords’ findings amplify concerns already echoing across the industry: without a more transparent, faster, and better-resourced infrastructure roadmap, the 2030 goal may become little more than a missed opportunity.