Shadow energy secretary pledges support for nuclear and North Sea projects

The Conservative Party has confirmed its intention to approve the Jackdaw gas field and the Rosebank oil development, reversing the legal rulings that previously blocked these projects. Shadow energy secretary Andrew Bowie outlined this policy shift during a speech at the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham on Monday. He stated that the party would back both the Shell joint venture Adura’s Jackdaw project and Norwegian energy company Equinor’s Rosebank development, which were ruled unlawful in 2025 on the grounds of downstream emissions. Bowie argued that supporting these initiatives is a pragmatic measure to act in the national interest, rather than an ideological stance. He emphasised that the North Sea can help reduce reliance on overseas imports and generate significant revenue for the economy, while also supporting British jobs and energy security.

Bowie highlighted that more than 80 per cent of homes in the United Kingdom rely on gas for heating, asserting that fuels from these projects would reinforce energy security. He noted that while the North Sea is not a complete solution, it offers a means to bolster domestic supply. The shadow energy secretary also reaffirmed his party’s commitment to repealing the Climate Change Act and scrapping the net-zero target. He described the state-owned company GB Energy as a white elephant, which the Conservatives intend to dismantle. These positions align with statements made earlier this month, where Bowie confirmed the party’s intention to remove regulatory barriers and reduce bureaucratic constraints on the energy sector.

A central part of the speech focused on the future of nuclear power. Bowie pledged that the Conservatives would invest in nuclear technology, arguing that the United Kingdom has lost over half of its nuclear generation capacity in recent decades. He stated that the last of the current reactors will cease generation in the 2030s, creating a genuine threat of energy shortages and blackouts until new reactors come online. Bowie criticised the failure to replace aging infrastructure, describing the loss of capacity as shameful. He proposed a strategy that includes investing in small modular reactors and advanced modular reactors, as well as further large-scale reactors, to ensure stability and reliability in the power supply. This approach is intended to create a diverse and resilient energy mix that does not rely solely on fossil fuels.

The shadow energy secretary also promised to scrap the windfall tax and end the ban on new licences for oil and gas exploration. He said the party would lift restrictions on exporting technologies to allow British innovation to flourish. Bowie described a vision for energy security that involves cutting taxes, levies, and red tape, while maximising recovery from the North Sea. He expressed confidence in the party’s ability to implement these changes, noting that party leader Kemi Badenoch had stated her confidence in winning the next election in 2029. Bowie concluded by stating that this combination of policies represents the Conservative vision for the country’s energy future, aiming to drive economic growth and secure the nation’s power supply.