SSE Chief Executive, Alistair Phillips-Davies said that the energy firm has been advocating a twin-track approach: dealing with the immediate affordability crisis while also figuring out how to get to cheaper, cleaner and more secure homegrown energy even faster.
Mr Phillips-Davies continued: "This crisis has been caused by the spiralling costs of imported gas and while the government's immediate support package will tackle the short-term symptoms, our role is to help provide longer-term solutions.
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"We have a programme of shovel-ready projects that could see us invest £24bn this decade in communities across the UK, creating thousands of good jobs.
"This country has enormous potential to become energy independent by fully developing our world-class renewable resources, upgrading our electricity infrastructure, and creating innovative new carbon capture, hydrogen and pumped storage technologies – boosting UK energy security and helping ensure we are never in this position again. And I was pleased to see the Prime Minister talk about the need to accelerate deployment of these technologies, building on the UK's global leadership in offshore wind."
Mr Phillips-Davies said that SSE will will work with the rest of the industry to "smooth the costs of the support package".
He continued: "This includes reducing costs of non-flexible, low-carbon power like wind and nuclear by moving these to fixed price contracts as their hedged trading positions unwind. SSE would expect the contracts to be set at levels commensurate with before Russia's invasion of Ukraine, given our shared objective to lower costs for consumers and public finances.
"We look forward to working with ministers and officials to turn the Prime Minister's ambition into action."
