Richard Tice, the deputy leader of the UK's right-wing Reform UK party, has cautioned several energy companies against participating in the upcoming Allocation Round 7 (AR7) of the Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme. In a letter addressed to the leaders of Octopus, Centrica, RWE, SSE Renewables, Ørsted, Scottish Power, Equinor, and Vattenfall, Tice warned that if Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage, wins the next election, it intends to terminate all contracts signed under AR7. The letter argues that the Clean Power 2030 targets are unrealistic without imposing "intolerable" costs on taxpayers, households, manufacturers, and the overall economy. Tice further criticized the net-zero policies, stating that "Net Stupid Zero is ruining our countryside and economy."
In response to Tice's statements, Ana Musat, the Executive Director of Policy at RenewableUK, emphasized that recent opinion polls indicate strong public support for renewable energy development. Musat highlighted that new wind and solar farms not only create jobs and attract investment to regions like the Humber, Teesside, and Scotland, but also reduce the country's dependence on gas imports, whose prices are influenced by international markets and events. She added that building new renewable energy projects is the most effective way to minimize future energy bills.
