CCC highlights cost effectiveness of wind energy in driving down electricity bills
22 Oct 2015The Committee on Climate Change, the independent advisory body to the government, has published the results of its study analysing power sector scenarios in 2030 as an input to its advice on the fifth carbon budget later this year.
The findings of the CCC suggest onshore wind will cost the same if not less to deliver than gas generation by 2020. The CCC concludes that “onshore wind is a cost-effective low-carbon technology, with a pipeline for up to 25GW of total capacity (incl. repowering) available at low cost before 2030.” The study highlights that adding low-carbon generation to our energy mix will help drive down the average wholesale electricity price because, once constructed, the cost of producing electricity is very low and this will in turn contribute to reducing consumers’ annual electricity bills.
The report outlines that the “low cost strategy for meeting the needs of the power sector in the 2020s involves low-carbon generation as the primary source of new generation.” However, in order to encourage future investment in the sector and provide investor confidence in the future of the low-carbon market, the government must “urgently clarify the direction for future policy.”
To view the full CCC report, download it using the button below.