Delivering a secure and diverse low-carbon energy supply is among the key areas that the UK’s business group CBI has defined as the ones that the UK National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) should set as priority.
CBI said that the Commission cannot afford to be way-laid by politics, but instead must focus on long-term planning to tackle the challenges the UK will face in coming decades.
In a paper titled Plotting the Course , CBI defines eight key areas the Commission should prioritise which, among others, include low carbon energy generation and supply.
The UK needs to be able to extract and store energy from a wider range of sources, and embrace the circular economy. Developing new and innovative technologies, such as tidal, hydrogen, and carbon capture should go hand in hand with keeping costs down, CBI explained.
Furthermore, moving towards a low-carbon economy means that more of the UK’s energy needs must be met through electricity. The electrification of heat and transport would double the country’s current peak electricity demand, but would require significant upgrades to the electricity infrastructure, according to the group.
Rhian Kelly , CBI Business Environment Director, said: “The National Infrastructure Commission gives the UK the perfect opportunity to carefully and strategically plot the course of its long-term infrastructure needs.
“It allows both Government and business to plan now for the challenges that the decades to come will bring, like the effects of climate change and increased demand on our infrastructure.
“With a strong Commission, we can deliver the projects – from upgrading our digit al connectivity to boost productivity, to investing in new energy sources for a low-carbon economy – that will enable firms up and down the country to get on with growing our economy and creating jobs for the long-run.
“For this to happen though, it’s vital the Commission is not blown off course by politics. This independent body must be given strong teeth by politicians so that it can recommend significant infrastructure decisions, like building a new runway in the South East, are made for the future benefit of all.”
The eight priorities for the National Infrastructure Commission are based on the 2015 CBI/AECOM Infrastructure Survey, and on private consultations with CBI members.