Building back Britain-is it time for the regions to shine?

Our friends at the Nuclear Industry Association recently shared that the UK is set to import a record amount of energy in 2024 stating the imported energy costs us more than self-generated energy. Over recent years energy affordability and security have never been far from the headlines so how have we ended up here? What real progress have we made?

Unfortunately the answer is little. While it’s never been far from the headlines practical steps to address the situation have been lacking. But there are signs of hope.

The new government has energy front and centre in its priorities and talks about energy being key to the economic growth that is central to their plans. They also talk a lot about decentralising power and decisions which gives a real opportunity to the regions to do something that fits their communities needs. Here in Cumbria we’ve historically been at the forefront of powering the UK, whether from coal in the Industrial Revolution, from nuclear following the second world war or from wind farms when we hosted the largest off-shore windfarm in the world.

Each of those industries has “sat” differently in our communities and, in my opinion, none have delivered the full value they were capable of, mainly because for too long we, as a society, confused (low) cost with value.

We have a new government, keen to build clean energy solutions and to drive economic growth right across the UK who have built their agenda around fairness and opportunity for all. So what should communities do now? They should grab their chances. Show the new government how they can be part of the solution. How the regions can build back the wider UK.

Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) are part of the solution because they're ideal positioning is in areas that need power rather than them feeding into the national grid and the shortlisting of Kingmoor Park in Carlisle is an ideal example of that but nuclear can't be all of the solution. We need a mixed homegrown energy supply with nuclear and renewables.

Here in Cumbria we have an opportunity to do just that with a proposal for a community owned windfarm called Project Colette. One where the supply chain in the area benefits, where the community benefits and where the community has ownership. Can it work? Who knows….but we should find out surely? Be part of the conversation at our Energy Networx event on 7^th August at North Lakes Hotel in Penrith.

Image: Walney Wind Farm at sunset. Photo credit: Janet Ellen Smith