Britain strengthens ties with California as new clean energy and climate agreement signed
The UK has forged a deeper alliance with California on clean energy and climate action, as Energy Secretary Ed Miliband and Governor Gavin Newsom signed a new deal aimed at boosting transatlantic investment and environmental protection.
The memorandum of understanding (MOU) was formalized at a meeting at the Munich Security Conference in Germany on Monday.
This agreement aims to promote transatlantic investment, improve collaboration between research institutions, facilitate access to the California market for clean energy businesses, and exchange expertise on protecting nature and building resilience to extreme weather events.
This marks the UK’s 12th agreement with US states, including Washington and Florida.
But this contrasts with Britain’s relationship with President Donald Trump’s administration on energy.
The federal government rolled back climate action and supported fossil fuels; notably, last week it rescinded a scientific finding that legally supported U.S. efforts to reduce planet-warming emissions.
Although Mr. Trump has previously dismissed climate change as a “hoax,” Governor Newsom has actively pursued the expansion of state-level green policies in California and continued multilateral cooperation with other countries.
Recognizing their shared passion for clean energy and their deep-rooted partnership, the newly signed agreement provides a renewed framework to accelerate the transition through innovation, scale new technologies and connect experts from both economies.
Mr Miliband said: “This Government’s clean energy mission is about taking back control of our energy to cut bills, create jobs and tackle the climate crisis.
“Strong international partnerships, such as today’s announcement with the State of California, strengthen opportunities for UK businesses and secure investment for our country.”
Governor Newsom commented: “California is the best place to invest in a clean economy in America because we set clear goals and achieve them.
“Today, we deepened our partnership with the United Kingdom on climate action and welcomed nearly a billion dollars in cleantech investment from Octopus Energy. California will continue to show the world how we can turn innovation and passion into climate action.”
The UK Department for Energy expects the deal will unlock new export opportunities, create skilled jobs across the UK and empower British businesses to expand and compete with companies such as Octopus Energy, which are already growing on the US west coast.
It is hoped that this strengthened collaboration will ultimately help reduce bills, promote energy security by reducing dependence on fossil fuel markets, protect the natural environment and protect homes, utilities and local economies from the effects of climate change.
Confirming the new partnership, Nick Chaset, managing director of Octopus Energy USA, said: “As a growing British technology company and investor in the US, this Memorandum of Understanding opens up opportunities to bring our smart technology to California, reduce energy bills and improve customer experience.
“We’re already providing this through our work with Southern California Edison, where the Octopus Shift app enables EVs and home batteries to support the grid and give customers more control over when and how they use energy.”
Despite admitting there are “clear disagreements” with the Trump administration on clean energy, the UK Government has promoted nuclear energy as a key area of strategic alignment, with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Mr Trump signing a landmark nuclear energy deal in September.
However, Mr Trump has repeatedly criticized the UK’s green energy policies, calling wind energy a “scam” and defending the exploitation of North Sea fossil fuel reserves.
