The blackout that should focus minds

Last week’s unprecedented power outage across Spain and Portugal offered a stark warning. While investigations continue, early reports point to low-inertia conditions and a failure in solar generation triggering cascading disruptions. In short: the grid was clean, but fragile.

In the UK, we’re pushing towards a fully decarbonised power sector by 2030. That’s the right ambition. But resilience must sit alongside carbon reduction as a guiding principle. When the lights go out, technical arguments evaporate and political reality kicks in.

A triple political pressure point

The Government’s Clean Power 2030 target is now caught between three forces:

• The technical challenge of “keeping the lights on” as the system shifts to low-carbon generation
• The economic imperative to drive economic growth and reduce consumers’ bills
• The political volatility caused by a fraying consensus on net zero

The Tony Blair Institute’s recent intervention, warning that voters are turning against climate politics due to perceived irrationality and lack of delivery, landed like a thunderclap last week. Meanwhile, Reform UK’s local election success and Starmer’s recalibrated rhetoric in The Times reflect an evolving reality: voters want ambition, but they also want confidence and clarity.

Even union leaders who support the transition, like GMB’s Gary Smith, are warning that current net zero timelines may be unrealistic without a clear and resilient delivery pathway.

We’ve made progress but lost the narrative

Important wins have been banked, but they’re not landing with the public. New planning reforms have given developers clearer direction, and the Government’s targets are workable. The Clean Power 2030 plan itself offers significant cost savings if implemented correctly, up to £1,400 off household bills annually, according to DESNZ estimates.

But the policy debate has been swallowed by market reform rows, particularly the bitter argument over zonal pricing. Industry and Government alike have spent months circling the drain on market design choices – a necessary but increasingly divisive debate on how we price energy across the country – at the expense of reconnecting with the public on what the energy transition means for their lives.

However, these technical reforms risk missing the bigger picture. The public wants to see progress they can feel – not be told to ‘trust the process’. Clean jobs, lower bills, and a secure grid in the immediate term matter more than market design to most voters. We’ve made the case for the ‘why’, but lost momentum on the ‘how’.

Resilience isn’t a technical detail – it’s a political asset

Energy resilience should be treated as central to public trust. It’s not just about keeping the system stable – it’s about signalling that Government and industry are in control. That households can rely on power when it’s needed. That flights aren’t grounded with the next substation failure or people aren’t stuck in the dark on trains.

It’s time we talked about resilience not just as a system need, but as a core part of the offer to the public. While we’ve quantified the cost of decarbonisation (£10 to 20 billion per year), according to the Climate Change Committee, energy resilience and keeping the lights on can’t be readily quantified, because in truth, they are priceless.

A new tone, and a new coalition

Labour understands that climate change still resonates with voters. But it also knows that tone matters. Starmer and Miliband now need to shift from evangelism to delivery, from top-down targets to locally grounded results. ‘Net zero’ and ‘clean power’ won’t turn voters’ heads – political and business communications need to focus on the tangible benefits the transition will bring.

That’s where business has a critical role. If industry wants to protect the integrity of net zero and maintain investment certainty for their projects, it must act now – engaging not just with Westminster, but with communities, local leaders, and the next generation working to deliver clean energy.

How Grayling can help

At Grayling, we work with businesses to navigate these transitions. From policy reform to stakeholder engagement, we help our clients shape the debate, anticipate political risks, and unlock influence.

The grid is changing – and so is the politics around it. If your organisation wants to help lead that change, now is the time to get in touch.

To get in touch with our energy policy and corporate reputation team, please contact James Watson at james.watson@grayling.com.