Labour’s ‘unrealistic’ net zero plans risk plunging Britain into darkness with ‘blackouts’ and ‘public unrest’, warns Tory energy secretary Claire Coutinho

WorkThe country’s mission to cut net carbon emissions from the UK’s energy supply to zero by 2030 is ‘unrealistic’ and threatens to plunge the country into darknessthe Minister of Energy has claimed.

Claire Coutinho says sir Keir Starmer‘s pledge to accelerate wind and solar energy projects to reduce the country’s dependence fossil fuels within six years did not take into account Britain’s willingness to make the switch.

She said the plan to aim for net zero energy emissions – where no more carbon is emitted than is captured – would be five years ahead of schedule Tories was too fast, without the ability to survive the days when ‘the wind does not blow and the sun does not shine’.

Technologies are being developed to capture the excess energy generated by renewable energy sources such as wind turbines and solar panels. But Ms Coutinho says such technology is not ready and without it Labor risks unleashing “widespread public unrest”.

Labor has pledged ‘clean energy by 2030’, quadrupling offshore wind capacity by then and boosting onshore wind and solar projects. nuclear energy projects across the finish line.

Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho says Labour’s target of net zero energy production in Britain by 2030 is unrealistic

Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer (pictured on Friday) has admitted that the target of net energy neutrality by 2030 – five years ahead of the Tories – is ‘difficult’

Britain’s energy needs are still largely met by the use of fossil fuels, with solar energy contributing to 4.9 percent of our electricity generation (Photo: A solar farm in South East England)

Sir Keir has admitted the target is ‘difficult’ but claims it is ‘doable’.

The country has also pledged to halt the issuance of new permits for exploration and drilling in the North Sea to reduce the country’s dependence on oil.

But this promise comes after the Scottish Government abandoned its target Cut Scotland’s carbon emissions by 75 percent by 2030 after Britain’s climate watchdog warned the Climate Change Committee (CCC) that this was not possible.

The SNP’s scrapped target ultimately cost Prime Minister Humza Yousaf his job after the party’s coalition with the Scottish Greens collapsed.

Ms Coutinho said Sir Keir’s “ideological”, single-minded approach to the 2030 target would have an equally bleak outcome.

She said The Telegraph: ‘They (Labour) are pretending they can decarbonise the electricity grid by 2030 – a target that no other major economy has set.

“And if they were to achieve that, it would either come at a huge cost or it would risk causing blackouts in this country.”

She added: “In the future we will have things like batteries and other technologies, but they are not ready yet.

‘So my concern is that we don’t have the right things in place to ensure that we can keep the lights on in Britain.’

Labour’s intention is in line with the aims of the CCC, which is pushing for more radical net zero targets than those of ministers.

But Ms Coutinho said the plan was “ideological” rather than practical.

She also claimed that renewables would not guarantee a consistent energy supply, potentially leaving Britain dependent on expensive energy imports from other countries where they have a surplus of renewable electricity.

Britain has also managed to export energy in recent years, while power consumption fell. But a large part of Britain’s electricity, around 40 percent, will still be generated using fossil fuels in 2022.

The Tories say they will aim for net zero energy generation by 2035 instead of 2030.

The Telegraph reports that the CCC – the official climate watchdog – will be forced to consider energy security and costs to households when advising ministers on carbon emissions.

Rishi Sunak faces tough election, with Tories trailing Labor in the polls – and faces challenges from Nigel Farage’s Reform UK

Other countries outside Britain have revised their net zero plans in recent years.

New Zealand, which had a moratorium on oil and gas drilling, has since lifted its ban amid fears of power outages.

The exploration policy was reintroduced by the centre-right national government elected last year.

Ms Coutinho’s comments come as the Tories continue to fall in the polls as Rishi Sunak attempts to stem lingering anger over his decision to leave a D-Day commemoration ceremony early to record a TV interview , to expel.

Mr Sunak has apologized but has continued to do so drawing the ire of D-Day veterans and some within his own party, including Penny Mordaunt, who called his decision to leave early “very wrong”‘.

As well as its fight with Labour, the Conservative Party is also fighting the threat from Reform UK – led by newly returned leader Nigel Farage, who will stand in the Essex seat of Clacton.

Labor has been contacted for comment.