Government faces a balancing act as it moves towards a greener futurepublished at 10:01 BST
10:01 BST
Shiona McCallum
Senior technology reporter, reporting from Aberdeen
Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh is here in Aberdeen.
Speaking at a very wet and windy Port of Aberdeen earlier, she delivered a clear message: homegrown gas still has a role to play as the government pursues its climate ambitions and its drive towards net zero.
Image source, POOLImage caption,
Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh and Chancellor John Healey in Aberdeen on Wednesday morning
She acknowledged that the government has been grappling with the transition to cleaner energy, but said that, after careful consideration, Jackdaw can be part of that picture.
Today’s decision is significant because it signals the government’s wider approach to Britain’s energy future. That will be one that seeks to balance continued domestic oil and gas production with the transition to cleaner energy.
And that balancing act is reflected in the reaction from the wider energy industry.
Greg Jackson, the chief executive of Octopus Energy, tells the BBC: “Of course, this will help maintain jobs here for longer, and it will pay taxes here.
“But in the long run, we need to get off gas, which is why electrification, moving to heat pumps are so important to escape this dependence on prices set in geopolitically unstable regions and by dictators for good.”
And that perhaps sums up the challenge facing the government, balancing the need to protect jobs and maintain energy security today, while moving towards a future where Britain is less reliant on fossil fuels.