Miliband Doubles Down on Net Zero

From NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT

By Paul Homewood

From Energy Live News:

Ed Miliband will warn the UK must “double down not back down” on clean energy as ministers move to break the link between electricity and gas prices, following the latest global energy shock.

Full story here.

It’s the usual head in the sand nonsense. The only real bit of news is this:

At the centre of the plan is reform of the wholesale pricing model.

Gas still sets the electricity price around 60% of the time, despite supplying a shrinking share of generation because of the marginal pricing system – where the most expensive power source sets the market rate.

That has left households and businesses exposed to global gas shocks even as cheaper renewable generation has expanded.

Ministers now want to reduce that exposure by encouraging older renewable and nuclear generators onto fixed price contracts supported by Treasury incentives.

Officials believe the shift could start to feed through into lower bills within 12 months although the scale of savings remains unclear.

It’s hardly likely that older renewable generators will settle for anything much less than what they were being paid pre-Iran. There will therefore be no saving on bills once gas prices return to normal.

In reality, despite Miliband’s bluster, gas prices have already dropped from their spike of a few weeks ago, and are not much higher than their long term average:

It remains to be seen how much he offers for these fixed price contracts, but as the report says, “the scale of savings remains unclear”.

And as we know, the actual payments to older renewables, including ROC subsidies, is much higher than the price of gas power.If Miliband really wanted to bring down bills, the first thing he would do is abolish carbon taxes, which inflate the very market price he says is too high.

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Ed Zuiderwijk
April 22, 2026 2:22 am

Yesterday the BBC enthusiastically spread this fake news accompanied by the strait forward lie that the high price of electricity is caused by the price of gas.

strativarius
Reply to  Ed Zuiderwijk
April 22, 2026 2:42 am

That piece by Justin Rowlatt on the cost of renewables… was a damage limitation exercise by the BBC

Reply to  Ed Zuiderwijk
April 22, 2026 5:06 am

Well, then the UK will obviously have to install more wind and solar and stop all gas. That should fix the problem and lower the price. /s

Bill Toland
April 22, 2026 2:23 am

For some bizarre reason, Ed Miliband is incredibly popular among Labour Party members. So if Keir Starmer is forced out of power, Ed Miliband will probably be the next prime minister. Lucky us.

strativarius
Reply to  Bill Toland
April 22, 2026 5:00 am

Labour is currently polling at 16%

Reply to  strativarius
April 22, 2026 8:33 am

But will continue running the country until 2029, number of sitting MP’s matters not the polls. Knowing they are going to lose in 2029 I predict scorched earth policies especially from Mad Ed.

strativarius
April 22, 2026 2:39 am

Two words: We’re fnucked.

Yesterday mad Ed struck the first dagger lining himself up for ‘an untarnished by Mandelson’ return to the leadership of the party and this time, the country. Put bluntly, it’s way, way worse than we thought. Another contender for Stalin’s job, the well tarnished Angela – I have to pay taxes? – Rayner, wasted no time.

Rayner praises ‘my friend’ Ed Miliband’s net zero drive
Support fuels speculation the former deputy prime minister will launch a leadership pact

Angela Rayner has praised her “friend” Ed Miliband’s net zero drive, raising speculation of a potential leadership pact… Telegraph

The point being that the political crisis gives more than ample cover for the mad monk to do as he pleases; everyone is looking the other way. And I’m sure mad Ed will be more than pleased with the performance of the supine media on the climate/net zero narrative.

If fingernails Starmer is still hanging on come May 7th it will only be because the entire Labour parliamentary party lacks a single spine.

April 22, 2026 2:59 am

Milibrain strikes again…

April 22, 2026 3:32 am

Renewables are the way forward

Five European countries will save 58% on energy bills this year thanks to clean power

Just-stop-oil trump is accelerating it.

strativarius
Reply to  MyUsernameReloaded
April 22, 2026 3:52 am

You tried this yesterday and failed. What is different today?

Reply to  strativarius
April 22, 2026 3:57 am

It is still true today and the article is new.

strativarius
Reply to  MyUsernameReloaded
April 22, 2026 4:11 am

The facts haven’t changed. The losses and costs are going up and up.
One recent gem you posted a link to was:

Even if climate change is not real

When we know full well it is, and is the result of natural variation. Yes we add a bit, and that is all. I did say you need a new hobby. Others were not quite so kind.

Germany closed its nuclear and has gone back to coal as a result. Incidentally, 5 EU nations is a whopping 18.5%

Reply to  strativarius
April 22, 2026 4:25 am

Germany did not replace it with coal and climate change is human made. But I’m here for funny articles about energy, not climate change.

Screenshot-from-2026-04-22-13-19-47
strativarius
Reply to  MyUsernameReloaded
April 22, 2026 4:47 am

“Germany did not replace it with coal “

No, it kept its existing coal going instead of closing it. For obvious reasons – like keeping the lights on.

climate change is human made

I honestly believe that your case could provide enough material for an entire conference of psychiatrists.

I wonder what other people make of that statement?

Bill Toland
Reply to  strativarius
April 22, 2026 4:53 am

It is currently impossible to quantify how much of the modest beneficial warming of the last century is natural or man-made. Anybody claiming otherwise is either lying or delusional.

strativarius
Reply to  Bill Toland
April 22, 2026 4:59 am

MUN is quite clear on the matter: climate change is human made

In the real world he can easily make the assertion, but he has less than a net zero chance of providing even a scintilla of evidence for it.

That’s religion.

Reply to  strativarius
April 22, 2026 5:40 am

“Climate Change” as defined by the IPCC .. ie warming by enhanced atmospheric CO2..

… is nothing but an imaginary human construct.

Sparta Nova 4
Reply to  strativarius
April 22, 2026 5:59 am

but, but, but scientists say…. /s

Reply to  Bill Toland
April 22, 2026 5:09 am

bingo!

Reply to  MyUsernameReloaded
April 22, 2026 5:46 am

Coal, oil and gas provide FAR MORE of Germany’s energy than wind and solar

german-energy
Petey Bird
Reply to  MyUsernameReloaded
April 22, 2026 7:54 am

You certainly find a lot of funny articles about energy. The Euro News article you linked is hilarious!

Reply to  strativarius
April 22, 2026 5:08 am

Like some AI, he can’t remember the last chat. 🙂

2hotel9
Reply to  MyUsernameReloaded
April 22, 2026 4:23 am

And more lies spewed by our resident peak lie spewer.

strativarius
Reply to  2hotel9
April 22, 2026 4:55 am

I’m inclined to think this entity believes whatever its handlers tell it. No matter how absurd it might be.

Bill Toland
Reply to  MyUsernameReloaded
April 22, 2026 4:24 am

More ludicrous propaganda from Euronews. The five countries mentioned all have very high electricity prices caused by wind and solar power.

Reply to  Bill Toland
April 22, 2026 5:41 am

And their industrial base is being decimated because of it.

Reply to  MyUsernameReloaded
April 22, 2026 5:07 am

Yes, please speed up use of only wind and solar energy- leaving more ff for the rest of us. 🙂

Scarecrow Repair
Reply to  MyUsernameReloaded
April 22, 2026 6:13 am

Stop being such a sycophant shill. Until cheap reliable storage is available, as long as fossil fuels and nuclear have to fill in at full peak capacity when wind and solar produce 0% of the electricity, the grid has to maintain two systems. It cannot be cheaper than maintaining just the backup reliable system, and it cannot function at all with just the unreliable renewable one.

Just stop it. It’s pathetic.

CD in Wisconsin
Reply to  MyUsernameReloaded
April 22, 2026 8:34 am

MUNR,

Those of you on the east side of the Atlantic are hardly in a position to boast to us here in the United States about the path forward regarding electricity generation. I asked GROK to compare Europe’s electricity rates to our rates here in the United States.

GROK’s reply:

“Electricity rates (retail prices for households) are generally significantly higher in Europe than in the United States, often 1.5–2+ times higher on average depending on the country, time period, and whether taxes/levies are included. Wholesale prices also tend to be higher in the EU, though some Nordic countries with abundant hydro can be competitive in certain periods or markets.

Recent Average Residential (Household) Prices

  • EU average (first half of 2025, medium consumption band, all taxes/levies included): €0.2872/kWh (~$0.33–0.34 USD/kWh at recent exchange rates of ~1 EUR = 1.17 USD). This was down slightly from prior peaks but still elevated post-energy crisis.
  • US average (recent data, e.g., early 2026): Around 17.45–18.05 ¢/kWh ($0.1745–0.1805/kWh), with increases of ~5–9% year-over-year driven by demand growth (e.g., data centers) and other factors.

Broader global trackers (e.g., Q1 2026 or late 2025 data) show:

  • Europe: Highest continental residential average at ~$0.255/kWh.
  • North America (heavily US-weighted): ~$0.148–0.186/kWh.

Key Reasons for the Difference

  • Energy mix and costs: Europe relies more on imports (gas was a big issue in 2022–23) and has higher renewable integration costs/taxes. US benefits from abundant domestic natural gas, coal, and some nuclear/hydro.
  • Taxes and levies: These make up a large share of EU bills (often 20–40%+), supporting renewables, grids, and policy goals. US prices include fewer such add-ons on average.
  • Market structure: Wholesale EU prices in 2025 were roughly double US levels on average (~$95/MWh vs. lower US). Some EU markets with high renewables and flexibility can dip lower at times.
  • Recent trends: EU prices fell from 2022 peaks but remain above pre-crisis levels; US prices have risen steadily (outpacing inflation in places) due to demand.”

**************

Europe is its own worst enemy by not fracking for natural gas. Please note the bullet points under “Key Reasons for the Difference”. Doesn’t sound as though transitioning to renewables really does Europe’s rates any good, although I acknowledge that rates are rising here in the U.S. as well.

I don’t know which is worse MUNR, your cluelessness or Europe’s refusal to acknowledge its own slow but steady self-inflicted economic pain.

2hotel9
April 22, 2026 4:26 am

Who is paying him? Follow the money, he clearly has an agenda in direct opposition to the welfare of the people of England.

Jeff Alberts
Reply to  2hotel9
April 22, 2026 7:24 am

Yes, someone should be looking for offshore accounts.

Petey Bird
Reply to  2hotel9
April 22, 2026 8:18 am

He probably has sincere belief in the expert opinions that he follows. That is likely why he s unable to observe the reality that what he is doing is not working. This is common in many educated people, especially academics. Their entire position in society falls a apart if those opinions are false. Very anti science.

2hotel9
Reply to  Petey Bird
April 22, 2026 8:31 am

Naw, he has said tearing down England and expanding EU is his goal, all in pursuit of Marxism and punishing the people of England who have repeatedly rejected him, just as they rejected his father. Vengeance using Marxist ideology all while sucking up as much money as he possibly can for himself. Typical Marxist.

Boff Doff
April 22, 2026 5:02 am

Mad Red Milibean has no interest in Net Zero. His sole objective is the destruction of capitalism in pursuit of his Marxist father’s obsession. He is well on the way to achieving that objective. In the UK at least.

strativarius
Reply to  Boff Doff
April 22, 2026 5:21 am

Adolphe the brave fled to England in 1940 and set about hating us and our way of life – especially capitalism.

And if you go back, only two nations broke the absolute stranglehold of the feudal Guilds: England and the Netherlands.

April 22, 2026 5:04 am

Nice cartoon at the top!

Sean Galbally
April 22, 2026 5:36 am

Miliband has one objective and that is to destroy the UK. He is a marxist at heart. He has no understanding of science. His Net zero vioews have no justification whatsoever. He must be asked to give plausible reasons for his stupidity and war against fossil fuels.

Petey Bird
Reply to  Sean Galbally
April 22, 2026 8:29 am

Many educated people believe that expert opinion is science. Ed is probably one of those.

Sparta Nova 4
April 22, 2026 5:56 am

Carbon taxes, yes, but also the North Sea.

Ronald Stein
April 22, 2026 6:20 am

Green Energy Ideologists are OBLIVIOUS that electricity came AFTER oil, as ALL electrical generation methods from hydro, coal, natural gas, nuclear, wind, and solar are ALL built with the products, components, and equipment that are made from oil derivatives manufactured from crude oil.
 
·       Without Crude Oil there can be no Electricity!
 
In addition, electricity can charge an iPhone, but neither wind turbines nor solar panels can MAKE an iPhone, thus everything that needs electricity consists of products that are also made from oil derivatives manufactured from crude oil.
 
·       Without Crude Oil there will be no products like iPhones, X-ray machines, computers, etc., that NEEDS electricity!
 
Planes, ships, trucks, and cars do not run on raw crude oil, they run on transportation fuels manufactured FROM crude oil by multi-billion-dollar refineries.
 

Reply to  Ronald Stein
April 22, 2026 7:01 am

Electricity existed for far longer than oil 😛

As has already been said a million times, it’s about burning fossil fuels first and foremost.

strativarius
Reply to  MyUsernameReloaded
April 22, 2026 8:21 am

Electricity existed for far longer than oil 

The global flora – no ice caps – that give us what you term fossil fuels (which incidentally, like wind and solar are free) was laid down from the Carboniferous onward. Several hundreds of millions of years ago.

You were saying…

Reply to  strativarius
April 22, 2026 8:55 am

When did electricity appear?

Petey Bird
Reply to  Ronald Stein
April 22, 2026 8:03 am

The early electrical generation was built by coal/steam powered industry and construction.
And often powered by coal.

April 22, 2026 7:05 am

Net Zero…why?
The transition to renewable energy is intended to facilitate a shift toward agrarianism, stewardship-based models not ownership, and centralized global governance with soft-tech monitoring and control. The move away from high-density, fossil-fuel-based industrialization, while sidelining nuclear and geothermal, is not a mere energy policy change, but is a deliberate restructuring of civilization.

Renewable sources—which are inherently diffuse and low-density—are physically incapable of supporting a modern, high-energy, industrial society. The shift to renewables is essentially a managed transition toward a post-industrial, “neo-agrarian” society.

Because renewables require vast land footprints to produce energy at scale, this inevitably places large portions of land under central management or restriction. This returns society to a state where land use is dictated by “stewardship” rather than private ownership, effectively limiting the expansive development associated with free enterprise.

While proponents frame renewable energy as “democratizing” power, it decentralizes energy to a degree that makes the modern industrial grid unfeasible, forcing localized production that mirrors 19th-century agrarian patterns of life and consumption.

A core component is the distinction between private ownership and public/corporate stewardship.

The World Economic Forum’s “Great Reset” initiative is a blueprint for the “Stakeholder” Shift. Moving from “shareholder capitalism” (individuals own assets) to “stakeholder capitalism” (corporate and state actors manage assets for the “common good”) is an intentional effort to replace personal property with a model of “stewardship”, in effect modern day serfdom.

This Service-Based Economy often references the “You’ll own nothing” narrative—a prediction that technological and economic shifts will eventually make ownership of property and consumer goods obsolete, replacing them with a service-based model where people “rent” their lives from centralized entities.

Renewables are the engine of global governance. Because renewable energy systems are complex, require massive grid redesigns, and are tied to climate-change mitigation, they demand unprecedented levels of international coordination.The political need for “climate action” provides the necessary justification for empowering international bodies (like the UN or the WEF) to set global standards that supersede national policies and personal freedom.

The “Great Reset” vision is a call to use the economic disruption of crises (like the pandemic or climate change) to solidify this new global order. Climate policy is the lever used to harmonize global regulations, tax energy usage, and manage the transition to a lower-energy, more centrally soft-tech monitored and controlled global economy.

This is not an accident but an engineered convergence. Industrial reality is constrained. Renewable energy cannot power industrial civilization at current levels. The resulting scarcity forces a transition from industrial consumption to a more controlled, low-energy, agrarian-like existence.

Governance is centralized superceding national sovereignty. The necessity of managing this transition will be used to justify a global governance framework that replaces individual ownership with corporate or state-managed “stewardship.” This is the primary reason why heavy industry is being pushed into relocating—to remove industrial independence, thereby making the transition to this new governance model inevitable.

Petey Bird
Reply to  idbodbi
April 22, 2026 8:08 am

You are probably right about that. Most of us don’t want to believe that that dystopian vision can actually be acheived. Western leaders are mostly committed to it.
An age of organised poverty. Fascism.

April 22, 2026 7:21 am

He’s doubled down so many times that he’s now staring at his own backside.

Bruce Cobb
April 22, 2026 9:05 am

He’s not playing with a full deck.