Uk lawmakers demand halt to drax power plant’s £2 million daily subsidies amid sustainability fraud concerns

A bipartisan coalition of 14 British MPs and peers is calling for the immediate suspension of massive government subsidies to the Drax power station following allegations that the company may have deceived officials about its environmental practices. The North Yorkshire facility, Britain’s largest power plant, currently receives approximately £2 million per day in public funding based on claims that it operates as a sustainable energy source.

The controversy centers on Drax’s sourcing of wood pellets, which the company burns to generate electricity while claiming carbon-neutral status. Recent court documents have raised serious questions about whether these sustainability claims are legitimate, prompting lawmakers to pressure Energy Minister Ed Miliband to act swiftly. The cross-party group expressed being “deeply concerned” that Drax may have systematically misled both government ministers and regulatory bodies about where and how it obtains the millions of tonnes of wood pellets it consumes annually.

The financial watchdog is now investigating these allegations, but MPs argue that taxpayer-funded subsidies should be suspended immediately pending the outcome. This development highlights broader concerns about the biomass energy sector and whether burning wood pellets truly represents a clean alternative to fossil fuels, or if it’s simply “greenwashing” that allows continued environmental damage while accessing lucrative government incentives meant to support genuine renewable energy sources.

The case could have significant implications for the UK’s energy policy and the accountability of companies receiving substantial public funding for supposedly sustainable operations.