UK direction of travel on clean energy – round-up of UK policy and strategy news

   28 July 25                NetRegs

Over the summer the UK Government have been publishing a number of strategy and policy documents that shed light on the direction of travel planned for the UK on energy. This blog provides a round-up of those of such papers that apply or have direct implications to Northern Ireland and/or Scotland; it does not focus on Wales.

UK Government: Clean Energy Industries Sector Plan
This is a UK Government (through the Department for Business and Trade, and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero) 10-year plan to support Clean Energy Industries in the UK. The priority industries selected are wind (onshore, offshore and floating offshore); nuclear fission; fusion energy; carbon capture usage and storage (CCUS), including greenhouse gas removals; hydrogen; heat pumps; and electricity networks; but other industries will also be supported. The plan includes a focus on generating certainty for investors, and catalytic public investment and dialogue to create clean energy skilled jobs, innovation, and growth. The strategy commits to supporting clean energy clusters across all UK nations; investment in modernising electricity networks and improving grid connectivity will also benefit all areas of the UK. Scotland is highlighted as a key location for offshore wind development and blade manufacturing, particularly in coastal areas; and there is backing for CCUS projects in Scotland, having in mind its geological capacity and existing industrial infrastructure.

UK Government: Solar Roadmap
This roadmap document, from the UK Government’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, details government and industry planned actions to radically increase the deployment of solar in all its forms across the UK.  The roadmap is primarily focused on England and UK-wide initiatives, but it also signals a commitment to partnership with devolved governments to ensure solar deployment is accelerated across all nations. The devolved governments of Northern Ireland and Scotland have separate ambitions and supporting policies for renewable technologies, which complement the ambitions and actions set out in the roadmap. The paper estimates that up to 0.4% of total UK land would be required to deliver solar under deployment assumptions consistent with the Clean Power range. Rooftop solar expansion and potential solar canopies on outdoor car parks are among the initiatives considered; streamlining the process for small-scale generation and ensuring fairness across the transmission and distribution networks, and removing barriers to combined storage and solar projects, are referred. Floating solar (where panels are mounted on platforms that float on bodies of water—such as lakes, reservoirs, or even the sea) will be considered. The roadmap also includes reforming the planning system in England, to result in faster and cheaper consenting.
To note: Northern Ireland and Scotland have each indicated their own solar ambitions within broader energy strategies. In Northern Ireland, the Energy Strategy Action Plan 2025 outlines steps to reach 80% renewable electricity by 2030 (including solar energy). In Scotland, solar energy is explicitly included in the draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan.

Great Britain: Midstream Gas System - update to the market
Gas has been central to the country’s energy supply for decades: providing over a third of the energy used, heating the vast majority of our homes, and playing a critical role in electricity generation and industrial production. However, with the move towards clean power, gas will play a much smaller role in electricity generation: fewer homes will rely on gas boilers; decarbonising industry, with a growing role for carbon capture and low-carbon gases like hydrogen and biomethane as well as increased electrification, is planned. This policy paper from the UK Government’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, applies to England, Scotland and Wales only. It outlines the strategic shift in how gas infrastructure is planned to support the clean energy transition across Great Britain. 
To note: Northern Ireland has been advancing its own developments regarding change in gas demand, such as through the Northern Ireland Gas Capacity Statement 2024–25, with points of convergence and others of divergence with those of Great Britain.

UK Government: Onshore wind taskforce strategy 
This strategy paper, from the UK Government’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), has a UK-wide scope, but it has a primary focus on England. Officials of the other UK nations were involved in the work. As a strategy document, it outlines the goals and plans for increasing the deployment of onshore wind to help meet 2030 clean power targets and delivering corresponding benefits. Some matters not devolved are considered. Some of the actions have implications for the development stream of onshore wind projects in the devolved administrations. Its implementation in Scotland and Northern Ireland will reflect the devolved nature of energy policy and planning in these nations. 
To note: Northern Ireland’s energy policy is led by the Northern Ireland Department for the Economy, but it aligns with UK-wide Net Zero goals; DESNZ’s strategy acknowledges Northern Ireland’s distinct governance but includes it in broader UK targets and grid planning effort. Scotland, on the other hand, has its own Onshore Wind Policy Statement and a Sector Deal signed with industry in 2023.

Great Britain: Electricity clean flexibility roadmap  
The Clean Flexibility Roadmap, published by the UK Government’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, Ofgem, and the National Energy System Operator, applies to England, Scotland and Wales. Flexibility plays a central role in Great Britain’s electricity plans. It refers to adjusting electricity supply and demand to match real-time conditions—especially important as more variable renewables like wind and solar come online. It includes storing clean energy for times when demand outstrips supply, offering rewards to consumers who choose to shift demand away from peak times, importing and exporting electricity, and generating low carbon dispatchable power. Smart tech rollout and uptake are at the heart of the approach. The roadmap identifies long-term priorities and path-building actions.   
To note: In Northern Ireland, flexibility is also a cornerstone of the nation’s electricity strategy as it transitions toward Net Zero. A Smart Systems and Flexibility Plan is being developed by the Northern Ireland Department for the Economy to guide the delivery of the Executive’s Energy Strategy and Climate Change Act targets.

Register for the NetRegs free monthly newsletter, for businesses in Northern Ireland or Scotland, which covers the latest legislation and open consultations on nature and environment protection, related topics on transport, energy, agriculture, fisheries and animal-welfare, and all things sustainability, as well as guidance, funding opportunities and events.