Ed Miliband today vowed to take on NIMBYs and build more wind turbines and solar farms across Britain.
The Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary claimed boosting the country’s supply of clean energy was a matter of ‘national security’.
Speaking at an Energy UK conference in London, Mr Miliband hailed how the price of onshore wind and solar power had fallen by more than a third over the past decade.
‘Cheap, clean renewables offer us price stability that fossil fuels simply cannot provide,’ he said.
‘That means that if we are serious about energy security, family security, economic security and national security, we need the greater energy independence that only clean energy can give us.’
Ed Miliband today vowed to take on NIMBYs and build more wind turbines and solar farms across Britain
The Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary claimed boosting the country’s supply of clean energy was a matter of ‘national security’
Speaking at an Energy UK conference in London , Mr Miliband hailed how the price of onshore wind and solar power had fallen by more than a third over the past decadeÂ
Labour has vowed to decarbonise the electricity grid by 2030 – despite critics claiming this could cost more than £100billion and even risk blackouts.
Since winning power in July, the Government has already formed a new state energy investment firm, GB Energy, to help boost renewables.
Ministers are also consulting on reforms to the planning system designed to make it easier to upgrade the power grid and build clean energy projects.
Mr Miliband claimed ‘the faster we go’ to achieving a decarbonised grid ‘the more secure we become’.
‘Every wind turbine we put up, every solar panel we install, every piece of grid we construct helps protect families from future energy shocks,’ he added.
‘This is an argument that we need to have as a country… because the converse is also true.
‘Every wind turbine we block, every solar farm we reject, every piece of grid we fail to build makes us less secure and more exposed.
‘Previous governments have ducked and dithered and delayed these difficult decisions, and here is the thing: it is the poorest in our society who have paid the price.
‘My message today is we will take on the blockers, the delayers, the obstructionists, because the clean energy sprint is the economic justice, energy security and national security fight of our time.’
Mr Miliband’s speech came weeks before energy bills are due to get more expensive again this winter, partly as a result of rising gas prices.
Regulator Ofgem said the average household bill is set to increase by £149 from October after it increased the quarterly price cap for the winter months.
Labour is continuing to face a fierce backlash over scrapping winter fuel payments for millions of pensioners.
Under plans announced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves in July, winter fuel payments will be restricted to those receiving pension credit, meaning around 10 million people will lose out this winter.
About 11.5 million people used to receive the benefit.
Mr Miliband did not address the controversy, but said that as long as the UK is ‘stuck on the rollercoaster of volatile international markets’ the country ‘simply won’t have control of our energy bills’.