Green energy entrepreneur Dale Vince has urged Prime Minister Andy Burnham to approve the Jackdaw and Rosebank developments, arguing Britain should take a more pragmatic approach to North Sea oil and gas.
The Labour donor and Ecotricity founder said the UK would continue to rely on fossil fuels for decades and backed further domestic production if it was accompanied by wholesale energy price controls.
Speaking to BBC Newsnight, Mr Vince said: 'We are using fossil fuels for the next couple of decades. That’s a reality. If we approach things differently, we can actually make sense of drilling the North Sea.
'If we price-control it like we have our retail energy sector, we can actually save money. And that … would make more sense of Jackdaw and Rosebank.'
The intervention marks a significant shift from Mr Vince, who less than a year ago said he was 'opposed to new drilling absolutely'.
He said he had personally urged Mr Burnham to take a pragmatic approach, adding: 'If we can also save money here and create some jobs. I’m up for it.'
Mr Vince, who remains committed to net zero, added: 'Provided we don’t row back on net zero… it makes sense to be pragmatic about the North Sea, change things so that we can bring our bills down and everybody wins.'
Source: Aberdean & Grampian Chamber of Commerce
