Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

Not to be confused with the preceding Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy (2016 to 2023) and Department of Energy and Climate Change (2008 to 2016), or the historic Department of Energy (1974 to 1992).

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ)^[1] is a ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom. It was established on 7 February 2023 by a cabinet reshuffle under the Rishi Sunak premiership. The new department took on the energy policy responsibilities of the former Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).^[2]

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

Logo
1 Victoria Street, Westminster
Department overview
Formed	7 February 2023
Preceding Department	Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy
Type	UK Government Department
Jurisdiction	United Kingdom
Headquarters	3-8 Whitehall Place, London, SW1A 2EG
Secretary of State responsible	Ed Miliband MP, Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero
Department executives	Jeremy Pocklington, Permanent Secretary Clive Maxwell, Second Permanent Secretary Jonathan Mills Ashley Ibbett Ben Rimmington Lee McDonough Paul Monks , Directors General
Child agencies	Ofgem Civil Nuclear Police Authority Coal Authority Climate Change Committee Nuclear Decommissioning Authority Salix Finance Ltd Committee on Fuel Poverty Committee on Radioactive Waste Management Nuclear Liabilities Financing Assurance Board Great British Nuclear North Sea Transition Authority Commissioner for Shale and Gas
Website	gov.uk/desnz

The department's first Secretary of State was Grant Shapps; he was previously the final Secretary of State at BEIS. The current secretary is Ed Miliband.

The department is scrutinised by the Energy Security and Net Zero Select Committee.^[3]

History

The department was established on 7 February 2023.

The creation of the new department was described by Downing Street as an opportunity to "focus on giving the UK cheaper, cleaner, more secure sources of energy – cutting bills, cutting emissions, and cutting dependence on international energy supplies."^[4]

The London School of Economics's Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment welcomed the creation of the new department saying that it "signalled a commitment to delivering net zero" and "showed that MPs on the right of the Conservative Party have failed to win the argument for weakening climate policy." However, the LSE warned that the new department would have to "persuade other departments and the Treasury to accelerate action on cutting greenhouse gas emissions across the economy outside the energy sector" to be effective.^[5]

Responsibilities

The department's immediate priorities were outlined by the Prime Minister as follows:

• To maintain energy supplies, particularly during the winter.
• To reduce energy bills and lower inflation.
• To ensure the UK is on track to meet its legally binding carbon budgets and Net Zero commitments.
• To speed up significantly the delivery of network infrastructure and green energy.
• To improve the energy efficiency of UK homes, businesses and public sector buildings.
• To deliver a new Energy Bill by the end of the Parliament.^[4]

Ministers

DESNZ ministers are as follows, with cabinet members in bold:^[6]

Minister	Portrait	Office	Portfolio
Ed Miliband MP		Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero	Overall responsibility for the department.
Sarah Jones MP		Minister of State for Industry	Office For Clean Energy Jobs; green finance; green jobs and skills; carbon capture, usage and storage (CCUS); carbon leakage; hydrogen; industrial decarbonisation and emissions trading, including fuel switching, business and commercial buildings decarbonisation; energy sector supply chains; green growth sectors; clean energy; investments; mineworkers’ pensions.[7] Held jointly with the Department for Business and Trade
Philip Hunt, Baron Hunt of Kings Heath		Minister of State for Energy Security and Net Zero	Nuclear; individual planning decisions; all departmental business in the House of Lords.[8]
Kerry McCarthy MP		Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Climate	International climate and energy policy; international climate finance; carbon budgets; Net Zero strategy; trade, Net Zero investment and supply chains; science and innovation for climate and energy; nuclear fusion; citizen engagement.[9]
Miatta Fahnbulleh MP		Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Energy Consumers	Warm Homes Plan; fuel poverty; energy consumer issues, including pre-payment meters (PPMs), Ofgem consumer elements, the energy price cap and smart meters; domestic energy efficiency and demand reduction; public sector decarbonisation; clean heat, including the Boiler Upgrade Scheme; heat networks.[10]
Michael Shanks MP		Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Energy	Great British Energy; renewables and biomass; energy systems, the grid and networks; energy market reform including Review of Electricity Market Arrangements; North Sea transition; energy security, resilience and preparedness.[11]

See also

• Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy – preceding body from 2016 to 2023.
• Department of Energy and Climate Change – similar body from 2008 to 2016.
• Department of Energy – historic body with similar responsibilities from 1974 to 1992.

References

1. "Offshore Coordination Support Scheme - GOV.UK". gov.uk. 10 February 2023. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
2. "Department for Energy Security & Net Zero". GOV.UK. UK Government. 7 February 2023. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
3. "New Energy Security and Net Zero Committee to hold stakeholder event in Parliament to help shape scrutiny priorities". UK Parliament. 9 May 2023.
4. Making Government Deliver for the British People: Updating the machinery of government for the world of today and of tomorrow (PDF). UK Government. 7 February 2023. Retrieved 7 February 2023. Text was copied from this source, which is available under an Open Government Licence v3.0. © Crown copyright.
5. Ward, Bob. "Response to the creation of the new UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero". lse.ac.uk. The London School of Economics. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
6.  This article incorporates text published under the British Open Government Licence: "Our ministers". GOV.UK. Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
7. "Minister of State (Minister for Industry)". GOV.UK. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
8. "Minister of State (Minister for Energy Security and Net Zero)". Retrieved 30 July 2024.
9. "Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Minister for Climate)". GOV.UK. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
10. "Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Minister for Energy Consumers)". GOV.UK. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
11. "Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Minister for Energy)". GOV.UK. Retrieved 30 July 2024.

External links

• Official webpage on GOV.UK
• Making Government Deliver: Updating the machinery of government for the world of today and of tomorrow policy paper forwarded by Rishi Sunak explaining the rationale for the department.