The prime minister has created a new department for energy security and net zero.
The department formed in the reshuffle caused the sacking of the Conservative Party chairman, Nadhim Zahawi. is expected to be known as DESNEZ.
It is headed by Grant Shapps, previously secretary of business, energy and industrial strategy.
The new department brings together energy and climate issues in a stand-alone department for the first time since 2016, when the then Department of Energy and Climate Change was scrapped by Theresa May.
But in stating his priorities, Mr Shapps made no reference to net zero. He said his focus would be on securing our long-term energy supply, bringing down bills and halving inflation.
Delighted to become the first Secretary of State for the new Department for Energy Security & Net Zero. My focus will be securing our long-term energy supply, bringing down bills and thereby helping to halve inflation.https://t.co/1Qd59oCMg8
— Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP (@grantshapps) February 7, 2023
They Work for You records that Mr Shapps has voted against measures to make net zero targets a “core mission” of the Advanced Research and Invention Agency.
He also voted against calls for the Government to implement plans to “eliminate the substantial majority of transport emissions by 2030” and against requiring a strategy for carbon capture and storage for the energy industry.
But Mr Shapps has dismissed claims that the current energy bills crisis is because of measures being introduced to help reach net zero emissions. He has also advocated greater prioritization of climate resilience in infrastructure.
Graham Stuart remains as climate and energy minister. The permanent secretary at the new department is Jeremy Pocklington. He was previously permanent secretary at the department of levelling up.
The reshuffle also saw Kemi Badenoch, former international trade secretary, lead a joint department for business and trade.
A new science, innovation and technology department is headed by Michelle Donelan, previously culture secretary. Her former job was taken by Lucy Frazer.
Greg Hands, once an energy minister, became Conservative Party chairman. Lee Anderson was named deputy chairman.
DRILL OR DROP? 
Lee Anderson deputy chair! That should frighten the chickens. How about making the lady from Newbury a Minister to deal with employment matters? Probably be too much for the chickens.
Will Grant remember there is only one Green MP? Will his bosses allow him to? If yes to both he could do well, if no to one or both, sorry but another politician sacrificed on the Net Zero bonfire, exemplified by Cash for Ash previously.
The Telegraph reports that the new Department of Energy is charged with “securing more home grown energy that is clean and affordable. Sunak said this was “mission-critical” for his government, charging Shapps with “securing more home grown energy that is clean and affordable, as fast as possible”.
That’s looking good for onshore conventional and the N Sea at least.
It’s an interesting dilemma, the U.K. spent $60 billion on imported gas this winter and the energy subsidies cost roughly as much as the NHS over that period. Put up with the the sound of a passing train for a few seconds and pay the nurses a decent raise from energy savings?
Wouldn’t it be nice if drillordrop had a simple like/ dislike button for readers to attach to posts to show some folk how irrelevant, inappropriate or just plain dumb their comments were rather than inviting critics to venture into territory which invited censored by moderator effect?
The problem Alan, as any democrat will tell you, is that one man’s “ irrelevant, inappropriate or just plain dumb” is another man’s “relevant, appropriate and intelligent”. Chill out man.
Precisely why it is a good idea just to like or dislike a comment without getting into a heated argument or being deterred from commenting by being afraid of doing so. Thank you for assisting my case.
Thanks for the suggestion on Like and Dislike buttons, Alan.
We have a standard WordPress hosted package running DrillOrDrop.
This offers the option of a Like button for comments (but not a “Dislike” thumbs-down button).
Also, to avoid multiple misleading clicks from one person, only users who are logged into WordPress can use the button.
For these reasons, we haven’t activated the Like option.
Many thanks for that, Paul. I can appreciate that only allowing a “like” is not really opening the “voting” on a comment, and that logging in is an obstacle. Ah well, just a thought. But it does seem that the commenters on the site are divided into two classes. Those who appreciate Ruth’s and your input and work to inform us all, and are grateful for being kept up-to-date, and a small minority who express bias and negativity in all their comments. After a couple of years absence I am sorry to see this still the case. I do worry that polarisation does not encourage open sharing of information or views. Even if it is just thanking you for your efforts.
Looking good for solar and wind, assuming this corrupt Tory lot dont start blocking then again. as has been the case when it suited them to promote fossils above clean and cheap energy.
No, Alan, you confuse social media with anti social media. What next? Censorship of free speech?
I have re-read the two previous posts. Can’t see anything there too contentious. My comment largely referred to two individuals who I have noted have performed well, with common sense, and valuable experience within the HoC. DoD decided it was informative to post the report and plonked a comment section below for, ermm- comment! Gave the chance even for one not to comment about the substance but comment about those who did!
You can always put forward your own points of view. Trying to shut down those with a different perspective is not really supporting the power of your own. Only a day ago you were posting about encouraging debate! Debate is not an echo, except in some unfortunate countries. It can still be social, and not the anti social version.
The like/dislike button is as flawed as the precautionary principle. I watched young kids pressing away on the like button numerous times in my hospital pharmacy. Maybe the staff ended up with a fat bonus, or maybe it was all a waste of time?
I fear for you. You can not see anything irrational in your first post. You can see no contradiction in onshore or offshore gas being considered green. I differ in my views. I would rather just press a button saying I disagree than enter into an argument,. This is not shutting down anybody’s opinion or right to express it, it is just a gesture of saying I agree or disagree.
As usual the stuff you’ve added seems irrelevant and incomprehensible to me.
the moderator just blocks views that are anti net zero
No, I see no contradiction in UK onshore or offshore gas Alan. It is certainly greener than coal, which was put on standby in UK this week. It is certainly better than energy outages that are risked currently when the wind doesn’t blow. It certainly is greener than most imported gas, which will continue through decades of transition. It certainly is enabling some people now to be able to afford to heat and eat with the benefit from the windfall tax. It certainly is more secure when Equinor state today their output is at capacity. It is certainly cheaper than new nuclear.
On shore has Nimbys to deal with, but so does most development in UK.
What I find incomprehensible are those who use Net Zero as a weapon but ignore the bit about transition, and the very obvious fact that a war in Ukraine has meant transition is going to be more difficult, and will undoubtedly require more gas and oil to replace sanctioned oil and gas. Forget about the “stranded asset” nonsense. That has now been shown to be garbage but I suspect those who uttered it are still in work and getting rewarded. Good for them, but please don’t expect that too many will now regard such as valid. Yes, it may be going forward, but quite a long way forward and there is a period in between. A new heat pump is the £6k fill in solution? Nope, it would be £20k for me and not provide the same solution.
It is only my opinion, Alan, but your type of approach wanting to forget the bit about transition is a bigger threat to Net Zero than any other threat. I still wonder whether Mr. Shapps will have the ability or freedom to deal with it, but I can but hope. If the politicians mess up the transition then Net Zero will be toast.
Meanwhile, I wonder what the older ones are doing with their pension pots, who were referred to in the recent analyses from the tracker survey? Hunting “stranded assets” to add to them, I suspect to cover their extra outgoings. Sorry to remind about previous nonsense as time elapses, but that is what older ones do. I just hope it has not cost too many younger ones too dearly.
Just think Alan, an instant disagree button would have precluded all those pearls! LOL.
I have made no comment about net zero, as usual you attempt falsely to put words in my mouth or distract the course of debate. I do object to fossil fuels being referred to as green, though, and had I the energy could argue the case. To use your logic, if you want me to follow your thinking, theft is better than murder, but doesn’t make it less of a crime.
Regarding an agree or disagree button, the sole object of my comment, would be a democratic way of readers of posts here of expressing a view. It would not prevent anyone like yourself from spouting whatever pearls of wisdom or utter claptrap, whichever way one might describe it, you wish.
I didn’t say you did Alan. I stated something quite different as my opinion, where Net Zero transition is quite explicit about the requirement for gas as a transition fuel. Equally, I didn’t say anything about green gas, but there are indeed those who do and it really depends on the comparison, which I responded to, even though I had not mentioned green gas. My comment was a “Green MP”! No comment from me about that Freudian slip.
Not sure where your theft and murder bit comes from, either. If you tried both I think you would find one was indeed less of a crime when you came to court, and sentencing.
I am a pretty positive sort of guy, Alan. Positive about aspects of energy you are negative about, but I would not see the point of a dislike or like button about your posting. I don’t expect agreement or disagreement when I post. I can post words if I disagree and feel it is significant enough to do so. If I don’t I can ignore. Those who want to disagree with me are free to do so, and frequently do. I note the rudeness when it occurs after I have shared my views but that is part and parcel of social media. There is a significant amount of that coming from the elements who would undoubtedly get a like button from others, and that is an image that DoD would not benefit from.