© Tom Leese/PAUK is only at 25 per cent of the necessary capacity for nuclear, solar and offshore wind to hit its 2035 target
The Government wants the electricity system to be fully green by 2035 by boosting wind, solar and nuclear power to end reliance on coal and gas.
But MPs on the powerful Public Accounts Committee have cast doubt on the credibility of the plans, and called on the Government to come clean on costs to households.
Despite the ambitious push for renewable power over the last decade, around 40 per cent of the UK's electricity is produced with gas. The country is only at 25 per cent of the necessary capacity for nuclear, solar and offshore wind to hit the 2035 target.
"There are just 12 years left for the Government to meet its low carbon energy target, and much still to do if this is to be achieved - and at a cost the taxpayers and bill payers can bear while ensuring the lights stay on," Dame Meg Hillier, the chair of the committee, said.
The report said the committee was "sceptical that the Government's plans for expanding nuclear, solar and wind power are credible."
Growth of electricity needs
The Government is also failing to take into consideration the full potential for electricity needs to grow to meet the demand for technology such as electric vehicles and air conditioning, Dame Meg said. As a result the Government may need to step in to nudge people to change their behaviour such as reduce car use, she said.
"We're going to have new demand in electric vehicles while we're still trying to ramp up on green technologies to meet the capacity. Is that capacity enough to meet the new demands?" said Dame Meg.
She added: "Going electric is all very green and clean, until we have too many people going electric."
"Maybe we just encourage people not to have cars and that could be Government policy."
Comment: Was that the plan all along? Own nothing, do nothing, and be happy?
Households have been urged to switch off appliances at peak times over the past winter when wind is low amid a crunch on gas supplies as a result of the war in Ukraine.
Comment: Correction: it was a result of useless Russian sanctions that only harmed the British public.
The Government was also forced to fire up coal powered stations earlier in June as air conditioning demand put a strain on renewable generation.
The PAC warned that the Government is relying on untested technology in its plans, including small nuclear reactors, which are not used at scale anywhere in the world.
It points out that the Government has agreed just one major nuclear project which has entered construction, Hinkley Point C, in the last two decades.
It also said the Government has not yet come clean about how much the plans will cost households.
Household costs
While the Government estimates that £280 to £400 billion of public and private investment will be needed by 2037, it has not worked out what this will cost households on their energy and tax bills.
"Any government at the moment is obviously nervous about saying something might cost more for the consumer.
Comment: As they should be.
"We need to have an open and honest discussion about who is going to pay for this infrastructure development that is necessary to deliver this ambition by 2035," said Dame Meg.
A Department for Energy Security and Net Zero spokesman said: "Far from the committee's claims, our plans to power up Britain seizes opportunities from our transition to a decarbonised energy system.
"We have already attracted £120bn of private investment in renewables since 2010 and expect to attract a further £100 billion of investment which will support up to 480,000 jobs by 2030.
"This will build on our world-leading record on delivering cheaper, cleaner and more secure energy, having the world's four largest operational wind farms off our shores and renewable sources now accounting for 40 per cent of our electricity supply - up from just 2 per cent in 2010."
At All Cost.