My thoughts in Energy Voice on the energy challenges facing next UK prime minister:
Read the article on EnergyVoice.com
Extract:
You know what they say? Be careful what you wish for.
In less than a month’s time, either Rishi Sunak or Liz Truss will emerge victorious from the hard-fought Conservative party leadership contest. But instead of a honeymoon period in which to settle in, they’ll step right in to one of the most challenging peacetime situations ever faced by a new UK prime minister.
As we swelter in the summer heatwave, it’s hard to contemplate just how serious an energy challenge awaits later this year. The public is already struggling with high fuel prices: petrol and diesel almost hit £2 per litre in July. Meanwhile, domestic utilities just keep rising with latest estimates exceeding £4,000 a year. Worse still, with Russia now turning the taps off on the EU’s gas supply, we might soon find ourselves caught up in the ensuing shortage. Cold showers cannot be ruled out.
Short-term fixes are in short supply. And long-term solutions are hard to agree upon let alone implement. But what could the new PM do next?