Martin Wright said that the association sees “huge potential” in decentralised energy, which he said could make a big impact faster than the new nuclear plant.
“The REA sees huge potential in decentralised energy and I think whether or not Hinkley goes ahead, the problem of requiring power generation needs to be solved quicker than Hinkley will be able to do because it has been delayed so long,” he said.
Wright told Utility Week that he has doubts about whether the “right technology” is there and whether nuclear is “cost effective”.
He added that he believed decentralised energy will “come much more to the fore”, and that energy storage will “make a much bigger contribution” than people foresee.
He also urged government to introduce financial incentives for investment in renewable technologies and said that the public “must be imaginative” to the possibilities renewables could bring.