The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy has published a report documenting research and analysis of the electricity system in 2050 to understand the potential impact of decarbonisation on system costs.
Electricity will be increasingly important. In addition to significant levels of wind and solar, the future energy system will require other forms of low-carbon generation to provide resilience during extended periods of low wind and solar irradiation. Options to provide this include nuclear, gas generation with Carbon Capture, Usage and Storage (CCUS), and short-term dispatchable generation from unabated gas and/or low carbon hydrogen. There is no single optimal technology mix.