The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) is employing more staff to work primarily on energy efficiency than any particular form of generation, new figures show.
Responding to a written question from Green Party MP Caroline Lucas last week, energy minister Kwasi Kwarteng supplied a breakdown of the numbers of staff working on different areas of energy policy within the department.
According to the minister’s reply, 237 full time equivalent employees (FTEs) are working primarily on energy efficiency within the department, which has recently launched its £2 billion Green Homes Grant voucher home upgrade scheme.
More staff (201) are working mainly on nuclear than any other form of energy at the department. This is nearly double the 104.6 FTEs who are working on renewables, which makes up the second biggest chunk of civil servants by type of energy.
Another 79 full time staff are working on renewable heat policy at the department, which has committed to publishing its heating and buildings strategy before the end of the year
The number of staff dedicated to nuclear and renewables now dwarfs those working on fossil fuels. Just 23 civil servants are working on gas generation policy, whilst another 26 officials are dedicated to upstream oil and gas policy, covering exploration and production. Just six officials are working on the coal policy desk, fewer than those dealing with the liabilities from when the industry was nationalised more than 25 years ago.