The wiring behind rewiring the state: Energy devolution in England

The new government has promised to give more power to devolved authorities to improve outcomes for the people that live within them. This fits well with the direction of our energy system. A clean energy system, powered by renewables, is more dispersed and therefore touches many more places than a centralised fossil fuel-based system. 

Strategic authorities already hold many of the levers of electricity demanda; housing, planning, transport and economic development to name a few. But currently devolution over energy is fragmented, energy boundaries don’t map onto political ones. Devolution has been restricted to delivering central government priorities, it doesn’t give local leaders the freedom to identify and pursue projects in their constituents (and the national interest). With the shift from a fossil to clean energy system, we can change this. 

These changes and others throughout this briefing give local leaders the opportunities to lead energy transformation locally, helping build things quicker, in closer connection with consumers, and hopefully better match energy solutions to the problems and constraints on the ground.