Recommendation 4

It is not clear the Department has the support it needs from other departments to achieve government’s power sector decarbonisation ambition. While it holds responsibility for, and takes the lead for achieving energy security and net zero, the Department nevertheless must rely on wider government to achieve its objectives. The Department has offshore wind, hydrogen, electricity network and nuclear champions whose role includes identifying potential barriers, such as local planning issues and availability of the necessary skills in the workforce. Other departments are responsible for such wider issues, including the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities for planning arrangements and the Department for Education for skills in the workforce. It is essential that, as the lead department for its objectives, it builds partnerships across government to successfully influence these and other relevant departments. However, this can be tricky when power sector decarbonisation activities may be in tension with other departments’ other priorities. Recommendation 4: The Department should set out in its Treasury Minute response how it will influence other departments to ensure they collaborate and prioritise activities in pursuit of power sector decarbonisation.