Britain wants to build new gas-fired power plants

Britain wants to build new gas-fired power plants to secure its electricity supplies in the future. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said this in an article published today in The Telegraph. Critics say the move will put the UK’s commitment to achieving climate neutrality by 2050 at risk.

“It is the insurance policy the UK needs to protect its energy security as it transitions to a net-zero energy system,” Sunak said.

He did not provide details on when or where the new power plants would be built.

According to the newspaper, there are currently 32 gas-fired power plants in Britain. The new plants are intended to replace existing ones, many of which are outdated and will soon be decommissioned. The Public First think tank recently warned that Britain could face widespread power cuts by 2028.

A parliamentary report last year criticised the British government for failing to meet its clean energy target because of delays in building new nuclear capacity and onshore and offshore wind farms.

Critics from environmental organisations and the Labour opposition accuse Sunak’s Conservative government of weakening the country’s climate policy. The prime minister recently announced the award of a number of new licences for oil and natural gas production in the North Sea. Sunak insists that Britain will still meet its climate targets.