On 10th July 2024, our Executive Director, Steven Lynch MBE, wrote to the new Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, The Rt Hon Ed Miliband MP, making the case for a regional industrial strategy, which can help unlock the potential of this vital sector for the East of England.
You can read the full letter below:
Dear Secretary of State,
RE: Energy in the East of England
Many congratulations on your recent election victory in Doncaster North and your appointment as Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero. We would like to welcome you to the region on behalf of the Eastern Powerhouse, a business-led membership body, that represents the entire East of England. Our aim is to maximise the region's assets and unlock economic growth for local and national benefit.
We are excited about your core mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower, and the opportunities that the Great British Energy company will bring to the region. The East is a key player in the UK’s transition towards a greener economy. It is arguably unrivalled in the UK for its unique energy mix, with oil, gas, the world’s largest offshore wind farm development, nuclear energy production and hydrogen. The importance of the energy sector in our region cannot be underestimated.
We therefore look forward to an industrial strategy for the East that will identify and maximise the potential of this vital sector. This would not only have the benefit of mapping current and future energy provision, but also opportunities for skills development in new green jobs. The East is among the most productive areas of the UK, one of only three regions and nations that make a net contribution to the national economy. Yet it has long been overlooked in favour of other regions.
We hope that the Labour Government, and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, will give the East of England the attention needed to help it grow and further contribute to the UK’s economy. We have long maintained that investment in the East will gain significant returns, not readily achievable elsewhere.
We would welcome an opportunity to meet with you and your team to explain our work to date, and the ideas that we have developed to improve the energy sector in the region.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Your sincerely,
Steven Lynch MBE
Executive Director
Eastern Powerhouse