Save This Land, Corwen (2026)

04/11/2026

Energy reforms to cut bills and put power back in people's hands
The Energy Independence Bill will cut bills for households and put power back in people's hands with a fairer energy system.

From:
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, The Rt Hon Andy Burnham MP and The Rt Hon Miatta Fahnbulleh MP
Published:
4 November 2026

Energy Independence Bill builds on the Budget by delivering a major overhaul of Britain’s energy system, putting affordability and public control at its heart

New laws will underpin plans to scrap gas standing charges, protect household bill savings and crack down on rogue energy companies and landlords

Communities to get a greater stake in clean energy projects, alongside reforms to speed up grid connections

Delivers on manifesto commitment to issue no new oil and gas licences to explore new fields in the North Sea

Some extracts of interest:

Putting power in local hands: Requiring developers to offer communities up to a 20% stake in new renewable projects, alongside mandatory community benefits so local people share in the rewards

* beads and trinkets for the natives?

Building a stronger grid: Establishing publicly owned Great British Grid in law through an upcoming amendment, alongside reforms to speed up electricity infrastructure and help homes and businesses connect faster

* we doubt this will be effective as you cannot get grid scale transformers without a 5 year wait.

The Bill will also deliver on the government’s pragmatic approach to the North Sea, by ending new licences to explore new oil and gas fields while supporting continued production from existing licensed areas.

New Transitional Energy Certificates will enable further production in already explored areas, including through existing infrastructure. This could unlock around 60 million barrels of oil and support hundreds of jobs.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/energy-reforms-to-cut-bills-and-put-power-back-in-peoples-hands

The Energy Independence Bill will cut bills for households and put power back in people's hands with a fairer energy system.

04/11/2026

URGENT: Save the Glyndŵr National Park & Demand the Promised Public Inquiry (Deadline: Wednesday 11 November)

After four years of evaluation and a 67% to 31% public majority in favour, Natural Resources Wales (NRW) formally concluded that the Clwydian Range, Dee Valley, and Berwyn uplands meet all legal criteria to become Wales's fourth National Park. In March 2026, the Welsh Government promised an independent Public Local Inquiry to examine council objections and local boundary questions.

Now, the Welsh Government has announced it is "minded not to confirm" the National Park and wants to cancel the Public Local Inquiry altogether—giving the public until 11 November 2026 to respond to over 220 pages of newly published, heavily flawed impact assessments.

This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to protect more of Wales’s most treasured landscapes before it is too late. Confirming the National Park will establish a permanent guardian for our extraordinary hills, valleys, deep peatlands, and threatened wildlife—giving conservation the legal priority needed to defend these special places and their surrounding skylines from inappropriate industrial development forever.

We have set up a quick, 3-minute tool that generates a personalised, evidence-based representation demanding that Welsh Ministers confirm the Glyndŵr National Park Designation Order and proceed with the promised Public Local Inquiry.

Submit your representation in 3 minutes here:

https://glyndwr.appeal.direct

(Note: Clicking this link will automatically redirect you to our campaign page hosted on the ObjectNow platform, where your letter is configured in full support of the Glyndŵr National Park and in opposition to cancelling the Public Local Inquiry.)

Please take three minutes to send your letter today and forward this message to friends, family, and neighbours before 11 November!

Shared with thanks by The Dee Valley Environmental Network (DVEN)

All representations are submitted independently by the individuals concerned. Your personal information is handled securely in accordance with UK GDPR and ...

04/11/2026

Yesterday, we watched 𝐌𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐞𝐥 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐁𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐉𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬 giving evidence to the 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐄𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 & 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐞.

We had not realised that there were preceding meetings on the same subject - 'Dunkelflaute and the risks of electricity intermittency'. What we intended to do was to hold yesterday's summary, go back on the others, and put what we believe has come out of those meetings - and the Public Accounts Committee and ESNZ meetings, too - into one comprehensive summary.

However, last night, we saw a Telegraph article referring to yesterday's meeting. In our opinion, the headline in particular - 'Burnham to halt wind and solar subsidies in net zero climbdown' and, indeed, some of the text, gives a different and wholly incorrect perspective from that which was actually said at yesterday's meeting.

(Other - industry - media is more restrained. And, already, there is loud muttering about investor confidence. It takes only one incautious - and unqualified - remark to set off investors, we believe. It may be that Shanks will have to offer that qualification.)

As a result of all this, we have brought forward yesterday's summary - in the images. This is the text of what Shanks actually said, in relation to the Chair raising the subject of CfDs.

'𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐟𝐃 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐭𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐲 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐞'𝐯𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐭 𝐚 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡 𝐮𝐩𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐭, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐚 𝐯𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐞𝐥 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐬. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐮𝐩𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐭.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐟𝐃 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐦𝐢𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐚𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐥, 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐰𝐨-𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞'𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐮𝐞, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐨, 𝐚𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐛𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭.

𝐒𝐨 𝐰𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐥 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝 - 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐑𝟕 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐑𝟖 𝐫𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐧 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐝𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐥𝐲 𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐬 - 𝐰𝐞 𝐝𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐀𝐑𝟗 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐟𝐃 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐞, 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐲.'

'Pause before AR9' - he did not say AR9 is cancelled, postponed indefinitely, or even that it will not proceed in 2027.

'Look at whether we need' - this is exploratory language. The Government is considering whether more substantial changes are necessary. It has not yet announced what those changes will be.

'To make sure they work for consumers' - this identifies the stated objective of the review, not its eventual outcome.

A pause to review the terms of an auction is not necessarily a pause in the auction timetable itself.

That said, we think we may be seeing a slight sea change, but it is way too early to make that assessment.

In 2024, we described Michael Shanks as 'articulate and personable' compared to the zealous style of Miliband. And he is. However, when we take into account everything we've posted in the last two years, and in particular, when we've noted Shanks' incaution in, for example, being 'roasted' on social media for his comments to Kathryn Porter (and other examples of rashness which some have said do not befit a Minister of State,) - the Scottish word 'gallus' came into our heads, frequently, whilst watching the meeting.

And so, having taken cognisance of what has been said at the previous meetings we referred to above, by all those involved in the grid's continued ability to 'keep the lights on', we will:

1. Wait to see what actually transpires by way of changes to AR9 and the relevant dates.

2. Carry on putting together, as cohesively as we can, those other meetings and documents - taking our time to do it as there is now quite a mass. We will then run by experts in the field that which we end up with and will finally post the findings.

But for now, much as we would all like to see an announcement saying that Burnham has halted wind and solar subsidies in a net zero climbdown - neither he, nor anyone in the government or the energy sector, has made such a claim.

Thanks to Wind Energy’s Absurd

04/11/2026

🚨 THE £70 BILLION GRID CAR CRASH

If this programme were a school, we would be demanding special measures.

Potential transmission investment of £70 billion. Important grid connections scheduled beyond 2030. And the department overseeing it still strengthening its engineering and programme-management skills.

The Public Accounts Committee asked the questions households deserve answered. Who controls the whole programme? Which connections will actually be ready? What happens when delivery slips—and who pays?

Our assessment: DESNZ, NESO and Ofgem have yet to demonstrate the control this enormous commitment demands. Consumers deserve independent delivery checks, quarterly public reporting and a complete account of costs and consequences.

Read our examination of the official evidence, with photographs, attributed statements and linked sources:
https://hopetosaveourcountryside.com/2026/11/04/70-billion-grid-car-crash-parliament-programme-assurance/

✍️ MAKE THEM SHOW THE EVIDENCE. Support our call for a full national impact assessment:
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/780321

Please read, share and sign.

04/11/2026

OPEN CONSULTATION
New underground-first policy for 11-132 kV electricity lines in Wales

“This consultation seeks views on how best to implement the undergrounding-first policy for electricity lines in Wales.

The proposed policy would:

prioritise putting new 11–132 kV electricity lines underground
end the use of large steel lattice pylons for these lines
We want views on how the policy should be designed, introduced and applied in practice”.

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03/11/2026

Burnham to halt wind and solar subsidies in net zero climbdown

Next year’s renewable energy auction paused amid concerns over grid bottlenecks

Andy Burnham has ordered a halt to new wind and solar power subsidies in a net zero climbdown aimed at cutting household energy bills.

The Government revealed on Tuesday that next year’s auction of contracts for difference (CfDs) – a form of state support for renewable energy projects – will be paused to ensure it benefits consumers.

This year’s auction, known as auction round eight, is expected to continue as normal in the coming weeks. It is expected to award subsidies that could be worth hundreds of millions of pounds a year, paid for by households and businesses.

But Michael Shanks, the energy minister, told the House of Lords environment committee that next year’s auction was being put on hold so that the CfD programme could be reformed.

It follows concerns that the development of renewable power capacity is moving faster than work to upgrade the electricity grid.

This has resulted in network bottlenecks and vast amounts of power going to waste. It has also led to wind farms being paid hundreds of millions of pounds to switch off, a practice known as “curtailment”.

Mr Shanks told peers that the Government was drawing up a new plan to prevent too much future capacity being built in Scotland, which is behind the biggest bottlenecks. He said the way subsidies are awarded will also change.

CfDs are the UK’s flagship mechanism for supporting renewable energy projects and are ultimately funded through consumer bills.

They ensure generators are always paid a fixed strike price for the electricity they produce, regardless of market prices.

Developers win CfDs by putting forward projects and bidding for fixed prices in auctions, helping to ensure the strike prices are competitive.

Last year’s estimated CfD budget was £1.7bn, covering wind farms, solar farms and other clean technologies.

“The CfD process has been incredibly useful to give investors certainty to build new projects,” Mr Shanks said. But he added that “we do now want to pause” before the next auction round to “look at whether we need some more significant changes to the contracts for difference scheme to make sure they work for the consumers of the country”.

John Healey, the Chancellor, declared in last week’s Budget that Labour’s priority was “first and foremost cheaper energy”.

Whitehall sources told The Telegraph that his remarks signalled a demotion of the 2030 clean power targets championed by Ed Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, when he ran the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.

Dan Tomlinson, a Treasury minister, said after the Budget that Mr Burnham would pursue “a new energy pathway” to “bring energy costs down to help British business to compete and British households to cope”.

Pointing to the rising cost of wasted wind power, Mr Tomlinson said: “With growing constraint and distribution costs, it’s right that the system costs of all new power are considered.”

He added that the UK would “only procure clean power” through auction round eight “if we are confident it will lower bills” and “we will reform the contract for difference [for the next auction] to support building the lowest cost system, fixing market distortions and siting assets in the right place”.

Ministers have also imposed a moratorium on new levies and policy costs being added to bills.

The Government insists that it stands by the 2030 clean power targets, which aim to ensure that 95pc of electricity generated by the end of the decade comes from “clean” sources such as renewables, nuclear or batteries.

However, ministers have sought to downplay the commitment.

Miatta Fahnbulleh, the Energy Secretary, told MPs last month that it would be “pretty hard” to deliver clean power while keeping bills down, having previously said that affordability was her top concern.

She also told a conference that while her department would “play its part” to try and reach Mr Miliband’s target, “the public doesn’t measure the success of our energy system in gigawatts – they measure it in bills”.

James Alexander, chief executive of the UK Sustainable Investment and Finance Association, which represents pension funds and other big financial backers, said: “Investors will be deeply concerned by comments from the energy minister today that cast doubt on next year’s renewable energy auction.”

He added: “The Contracts for Difference model has been a crucial driver of investment in clean power, helping to secure record offshore wind capacity this year and build a world-leading renewables sector.

“But telling markets the Government intends to review this process risks sending a worrying signal about the strength of the UK’s commitment to the energy transition.

“We now need to see urgent clarity on the future of this process, or the Government could put billions of pounds of capital at risk.”

The Government has been approached for comment.

Burnham to halt wind and solar subsidies in net zero climbdown

Next year’s renewable energy auction paused amid concerns over grid bottlenecks

03/11/2026

Healey has managed to deliver a body blow to the SNP governments’ longstanding claims that Scotland will become a global leader in the net zero drive as Scotland's promised green jobs boom is looking increasingly uncertain.

After years of promises that renewables would transform Scotland's economy, the investment and jobs outlook is looking bleak.

https://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/viewpoint/26688788.scotland-energy-jobs-outlook-bleak-amid-funding-cuts/

Healey has managed to deliver a body blow to the SNP governments’ longstanding claims that Scotland will become a global leader in the net zero drive as Scotland's promised green jobs boom is looking increasingly uncertain.

After years of promises that renewables would transform Scotland's economy, the investment and jobs outlook is looking bleak.

Read more 👇
https://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/viewpoint/26688788.scotland-energy-jobs-outlook-bleak-amid-funding-cuts/

03/11/2026

“Gone with the wind. German power goes from €13 to €315 a megawatt-hour in four days” – German power averaged €13 a megawatt-hour on Sunday, October 25th, when renewables briefly supplied more than the country used, but four days later the wind was gone, lignite and gas were carrying the load and the price averaged €315, reports Charles Rotter in Watts Up With That?.

Berliner Zeitung, in a piece by Flynn Jacobs drawing on Bloomberg, reports on the first Dunkelflaute of the heating season. Dunkelflaute is the German word for the dark, still weather that leaves wind turbines and solar panels with little to do and everyone else with the bill. From the article, in my translation:

The German wholesale price for electricity has risen within a few days from 13 to more than 300 euros per megawatt-hour. That is according to the news agency Bloomberg, citing data from the Epex Spot power exchange. The day-ahead price for delivery on Thursday is thus about twice the October average so far. In some evening hours, prices of more than 500 euros are even being reached. As recently as Sunday, power was trading at times for just 13 euros.

https://substack.com/redirect/b977a524-1914-4ab6-8828-4369fa0eba35

German power averaged €13 a megawatt-hour on Sunday, October 25, when renewables briefly supplied more than the country used and Fraunhofer's Energy-Charts posted a record. Four days later the wind was gone, lignite and gas were carrying the load, and power averaged €315.

03/11/2026

“NESO winter outlook” – In Not A Lot Of People Know That, Paul Homewood examines NESO’s Winter Outlook, which assures us that Britain won’t run out of electricity this winter.

By Paul Homewood NESO have published their Winter Outlook, assuring us that we won’t run out of electricity this winter: Britain’s electricity supplies expected to remain secure this winter …

03/11/2026

Scottish energy jobs and billions of investment 'in jeopardy' over Labour renewables pivot
A pivot from the UK government could spell trouble for Scotland’s floating wind industry

The UK government has been accused of “putting billions of pounds of investment and thousands of Scottish jobs in jeopardy” by drawing up a new renewable energy strategy that could hamper the country’s already-stuttering floating wind ambitions.

A pivot from the UK government could spell trouble for Scotland’s floating wind industry