Great Britain’s electricity strategy through 2035
What electricity-generation strategy should Great Britain pursue through 2035?
Compare renewables-led clean power, Reform UK’s cost-and-security-first reset, and a nuclear-centred low-carbon route.
Leading proposals
Build renewables-led clean power backed by firm and flexible capacity
Expand wind and solar rapidly, supported by nuclear, storage, interconnectors, networks, demand flexibility and dispatchable backup.
Reconstruction: deliver renewables-led Clean Power with nuclear, batteries, long-duration storage, interconnectors, networks, demand flexibility and dispatchable backup. Published 2030 ranges are 43–50 GW offshore wind, 27–29 GW onshore wind, 45–47 GW solar, 23–27 GW batteries, 4–6 GW long-duration storage and 12–14 GW interconnection, with unabated gas generation toward 5%. Continue transition through 2035.
Caveat: ranges are not guaranteed outcomes or a complete fixed 2035 mix.
Source: DESNZ — Clean Power 2030 Action Plan · Open reference
Make firm nuclear power more central to clean electricity
Continue decarbonisation but give nuclear greater weight and reform planning and regulation.
Reconstruction: maintain low-carbon objectives while making firm nuclear more central alongside renewables and flexibility. Reform planning, regulation and delivery, extend viable stations and accelerate large and modular nuclear.
Caveat: this synthesis does not invent precise 2035 generation shares.
Source: Policy Exchange — Expediting Civil Nuclear Power · Open reference
Put cost and security first and roll back the renewables-led Net Zero strategy
Remove green levies and subsidies, reassess Net Zero and expand reliable domestic energy including oil and gas.
Reconstruction: prioritise affordability and security over the current Net Zero timetable. Remove or reduce green levies and subsidies, reassess renewable commitments and network costs, and permit greater domestic energy including oil and gas.
Caveat: no sufficiently detailed comparable 2035 generation mix is supplied; none is invented here.
Source: Reform UK — Our Contract with You · Open reference
Compare proposals
| Shared metric | Build renewables-led clean power backed by firm and flexible capacity | Make firm nuclear power more central to clean electricity | Put cost and security first and roll back the renewables-led Net Zero strategy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Curtailment and balancing | No forecast supplied | No forecast supplied | No forecast supplied |
| Capital investment | No forecast supplied | No forecast supplied | No forecast supplied |
| Gas generation | No forecast supplied | No forecast supplied | No forecast supplied |
| Carbon intensity | No forecast supplied | No forecast supplied | No forecast supplied |
| Fuel import exposure | No forecast supplied | No forecast supplied | No forecast supplied |
| Consumer electricity price | No forecast supplied | No forecast supplied | No forecast supplied |
| Reliability and security | No forecast supplied | No forecast supplied | No forecast supplied |
| Whole-system electricity cost | No forecast supplied | No forecast supplied | No forecast supplied |
metrics
Metrics
Whole-system electricity cost
Shared issue-level comparison metric: Whole-system electricity cost.
Consumer electricity price
Shared issue-level comparison metric: Consumer electricity price.
Reliability and security
Shared issue-level comparison metric: Reliability and security.
Gas generation
Shared issue-level comparison metric: Gas generation.
Carbon intensity
Shared issue-level comparison metric: Carbon intensity.
Fuel import exposure
Shared issue-level comparison metric: Fuel import exposure.
Curtailment and balancing
Shared issue-level comparison metric: Curtailment and balancing.
Capital investment
Shared issue-level comparison metric: Capital investment.