Coutinho criticises AR8 process

Shadow energy secretary Claire Coutinho has accused the Government of being “negligent” over the upcoming AR8 renewables support auction.

In a letter she expensive subsidy contracts were about to be awarded without the Government having “any idea of what those contracts will ultimately cost consumers”.

“This is grossly negligent, especially as it comes in the face of many warnings from myself and industry that you are about to lock Britain into paying high electricity prices for decades to come.”

She called on the Government to complete a full analysis of the cost of a net zero electricity grid compared with one that prioritises cheaper power.

However, a Government spokesman said leaving families and businesses exposed to global fossil fuel price shocks would be irresponsible.

“In our last auction, we secured new offshore wind at a price that is 40% cheaper than building and operating new gas, while unlocking £27bn in private sector investment and supporting thousands of jobs across the country.”