The government has set out its policy agenda in the first King's Speech under new Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Climate action had a prominent place in the speech, with Labour restating its commitment to a clean energy transition and setting out plans to establish GB Energy, a publicly owned clean energy company with a remit for driving investment in renewables.
While community energy was not namechecked in the speech, Labour’s Local Power Plan states that GB Energy’s first major programme will be to “build cheaper, cleaner power in cities, towns and villages across the country.” It plans to do this by investing up to £400m a year in low interest loans for communities alongside up to £600m a year in grants for local authorities. The GB Energy Bill will require the Energy Secretary, Ed Miliband, to make a Strategic Priorities statement, which will set the direction for the company.
The speech also set out planning reform as a priority, with Labour viewing it as a key driver of growth. In Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ first major speech since assuming the role, she announced that the de facto ban on new onshore wind turbines would be overturned immediately. Labour will bring a Planning and Infrastructure Bill to the House which will set out further reforms. These will include efforts to accelerate upgrades to the national grid, which has been a major barrier to many community energy projects.
We will continue to update this blog as more details on Labour’s legislative agenda emerge.
