The Tony Blair Institute has called on the UK Government to reform its Clean Power 2030 mission, arguing that the country’s current energy strategy risks becoming a constraint rather than a national advantage. In a new report, the Institute proposes reframing the initiative as “Cheaper Power 2030, Net Zero 2050”, placing affordability and resilience at the core of Britain’s energy transition.

The organisation warns that while clean electricity remains essential for the UK’s climate goals, national security and long-term economic strength, the country’s high energy costs and slow pace of electrification threaten both public support and competitiveness. The new framework seeks to ensure that decarbonisation is delivered “affordably, securely and with public backing.”

To achieve this, the report outlines six key recommendations:

1. Recalibrate the clean power plan for least-cost pathways. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) should direct the National Energy System Operator (NESO) to conduct annual reviews of system progress, adjusting the pace of the transition to maintain affordability and transparency.
2. Fix market design and investment signals. The Institute calls for reforms that introduce more localised and time-based market signals and adjust the Contracts for Difference system, shifting risk from consumers to energy suppliers.
3. Implement radical planning reform. It urges the government to remove structural barriers that slow delivery by centralising decision-making and reducing environmental burdens, arguing that accelerated planning is among the most effective ways to cut system costs.
4. Accelerate technology, data and system innovation. Upgrading NESO with artificial intelligence capabilities and releasing energy data consistently would help unlock new efficiencies. The report also calls for enabling consumer participation in flexibility markets.
5. Develop a low-cost generation mix. NESO should identify an optimal balance between renewables, nuclear and flexible capacity to ensure both cost and reliability. Support for high-cost technologies such as carbon capture and biomass should be phased out, with investment redirected to storage and flexibility.
6. Make gas cheaper. The Institute suggests temporarily suspending certain carbon taxes on gas until 2030 to lower bills without undermining decarbonisation, given that renewables are already cheaper than fossil fuels.

The report stresses that Cheaper Power 2030, Net Zero 2050 does not represent a retreat from the UK’s net-zero commitments, but rather a more pragmatic approach to achieving them. By focusing on cost reduction, technological innovation and efficiency, the Institute argues, Britain could secure cheaper, cleaner power while strengthening its economy and public trust in the energy transition.