The Clean Power Action Plan: Milestones to 2030
On 13 December, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband unveiled the Clean Power Action Plan, aiming to achieve 45GW-47GW of solar generation capacity by 2030. The plan introduces two key initiatives:
1. Solar Canopies for Outdoor Car Parks
Outdoor car parks have significant potential for solar canopy installations, offering clean electricity, EV charging, and vehicle shelter.
- A new permitted development right makes it easier to deploy solar canopies in non-domestic off-street car parks in England.
- The government plans to assess the feasibility of solar canopy construction on larger car parks through a call for evidence next year.
2. Rooftop Solar for Warehouses and Industry
Rooftop solar presents vast opportunities, especially in the warehousing and industrial sectors:
- Research by the UK Warehousing Association (UKWA) highlights that the UK’s largest 20% of warehouses provide 75 million square meters of roof space.
- Rooftop solar installations could generate up to 15GW of capacity across all warehousing roof spaces.
Other Highlights of the Clean Power 2030 Plan
Expanding Renewables
To reduce reliance on fossil fuels, the UK government outlines targets for:
- 43-50GW of offshore wind
- 27-29GW of onshore wind
- 45-47GW of solar power
- Supporting infrastructure: 23-27GW of battery capacity and 4-6GW of long-duration energy storage (LDES).
The plan involves 80 advanced-stage projects to unblock networks, addressing long-standing connection delays. With 740GW of proposed generation capacity in the grid queue, resolving connection issues is critical.
Great British Energy (GBE) & Local Power Plan
GBE will champion community-led renewable energy projects for households, businesses, and public buildings through the Local Power Plan, placing local authorities at the forefront of energy generation.
Upscaling Renewable Investments
To meet its goals, the government plans to invest £40 billion between 2025 and 2030, with key initiatives including:
- Industrial Strategy: Focus on trade unions and workforce planning for clean power delivery.
- Clean Industry Bonus: Support renewable energy manufacturing, sustainable supply chains, and sector transparency.
- National Wealth Fund: Allocate £5.8 billion to green hydrogen, carbon capture, ports, gigafactories, and green steel.
GBE will prioritize clean power supply chain development to bolster the UK’s renewable energy landscape.
Overcoming Challenges
The report identifies three critical planning challenges:
- Transmission networks and offshore wind projects need construction approval by 2026 to meet 2030 goals.
- Onshore renewable and battery projects require consent by 2028.
- Low-carbon flexibility pathways must be defined for 2030 delivery.
Addressing Skills Gaps
Achieving Clean Power by 2030 will require significant workforce expansion:
- The net zero transition is expected to create thousands of technical and managerial jobs, including:
- Technical engineers (Levels 4-7)
- Electrical welders and mechanical trades (Levels 2-7)
- Project managers (Levels 4-7)
Key workforce challenges:
- An ageing workforce with limited willingness to reskill.
- Lack of awareness about green jobs—87% of 16–24-year-olds don’t know what "green skills" mean.
- Workforce inequalities: Only 16.5% of engineers are female, and just 7% of offshore wind workers are from non-white backgrounds.
Conclusion
The Clean Power 2030 plan is ambitious, yet achievable. It emphasizes faster network connections, increased renewable investments, and rapid upskilling. Addressing planning and workforce challenges will be crucial to delivering the clean energy future the UK envisions.
👉 See the full report here: Clean Power 2030 Action Plan
👉 Related article: Solar Power Portal Coverage
