Drax Power Station

My Liberal Democrat parliamentary colleagues and I believe that this decision is not only detrimental to efforts to increase reliance on renewable energy but also fails to provide value for money for energy bill payers.

While it is positive that Drax intends to reduce the pollutants, we are very concerned that the financial incentive is so lucrative that Drax’s shares surged following the announcement. This suggests that rather than prioritising environmental sustainability, the Government has instead rewarded a company for continuing harmful practices.

Furthermore, the destruction of primary forests for biomass is a major concern, as it threatens biodiversity and worsens the climate crisis. My Liberal Democrat parliamentary colleagues have asked the Government to publish the 2022 KPMG report into Drax’s subsidy claims. The report was initiated after concerns emerged that Drax may have falsely claimed subsidies, and it is deeply troubling that Drax has not revealed this information to either the financial markets or the regulator, Ofgem.

The Liberal Democrats would ensure that 90% of the UK’s electricity is generated from renewables by 2030, but we would not include biomass electricity in this pledge. The wood used often does not come from renewable sources, and in many cases, the emissions are more harmful than coal.

Pippa Heylings, our Shadow Energy Security and Net Zero Spokesperson, recently raised these issues with the Secretary of State in Parliament. You can read the full transcript of the debate here: https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2025-02-10/debates/3C5B1FDA-CDE6-45BF-8720-63EB2F0F5974/details#

I will continue to campaign for better policies on this matter, hold the Government to account and advocate for genuine progress in addressing the climate emergency.