The Labour party has set an ambitious goal to establish a clean electricity system in Britain by 2030, a plan that the National Energy System Operator (Neso) has deemed 'immensely challenging' yet 'credible.'

Neso has outlined two potential pathways to achieve this goal: one emphasizes a substantial increase in renewable energy, particularly offshore wind, while the other focuses on nuclear power and carbon capture technology.

Both pathways will require a significant scaling up of energy production, specifically doubling onshore wind capacity from 13GW to 27GW and tripling solar power from 15GW to 47GW by 2030.

To meet these targets, the construction of the high-voltage transmission network must accelerate, requiring a doubling of the previous rate over the next five years.

Additionally, the flexible power demand market needs to expand from 2GW to between 10 and 12GW by 2030 to optimize energy consumption during peak demand.

While gas-fired power stations will continue to play a role in electricity generation during periods of low renewable output, they are expected to account for less than 5% of total power consumption.

Neso has called for urgent reforms in the planning process to expedite the approval of major projects, advocating for simultaneous and rapid implementation of these changes.

Keir Starmer has pledged to implement extensive reforms in the planning system to facilitate the transition to net zero emissions.

Ed Miliband, the energy secretary, supports Neso's report, which reinforces the government's clean energy strategy aimed at reducing reliance on fossil fuels.

Fintan Slye, CEO of Neso, stresses the necessity for bold actions to tackle the significant challenges of delivering clean power, suggesting that the benefits could outweigh the efforts involved.

If successful, Britain could emerge as a net exporter of green electricity by the end of the decade, potentially lowering energy bills without incurring additional costs to the energy system.

Despite these plans, Labour faces skepticism regarding the feasibility of the 2030 target, with Neso noting that regional power networks must grow over four times faster than they have in the last decade.