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Chaitanya Kumar

@chaitanyakumar.bsky.social
1.4K followers 29 following 109 posts

Campaigner and policy wonk on all things climate and energy. Current head of economy and environment at the New Economics Foundation. Formerly at Green Alliance and 350.org

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Chaitanya Kumar @chaitanyakumar.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
"happiness consists of the possession of a non-negotiable truth. Today, we no longer have such non-negotiable truths. Instead, we have an over-abundance of information". Byung-chul Han has been a great voice on the fracturing of shared narratives in the digital age.
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Torsten Bell @torstenbell.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
Blair putting on full display what is in many ways his special ability - to lay out a political argument grounded in his own view of global trends (globalisation in the 2000s, tech in the 2020s). But… institute.global/insights/pol...
institute.global
The Labour Party Is Playing With Fire Over Its Future and the Future of the Country
In this essay, Tony Blair sets out the need for a new agenda for Britain.
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Chaitanya Kumar @chaitanyakumar.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
Tony Blair’s new essay "playing with fire" is getting ba lot of attention. It read surprisingly apolitical but I'm afraid he misdiagnoses the current crisis. A short 🧵 that isn't just about net zero 🤦🏾 institute.global/insights/pol...
institute.global
The Labour Party Is Playing With Fire Over Its Future and the Future of the Country
In this essay, Tony Blair sets out the need for a new agenda for Britain.
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New Economics Foundation @neweconomics.bsky.social · 01/04/2026
There is one hard truth: the fossil-fuel giants will not save us. Energy shocks don’t just raise our energy bills – they can be turning points in how our economy runs, says @chaitanyakumar.bsky.social in @theguardian.com www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
This is what a fossil-fuel shock looks like. The UK must adapt its energy system – and quickly | Chaitanya Kumar
The Iran war will hit food prices, fuel costs and interest rates. But we could could turn this crisis to our advantage, says Chaitanya Kumar of the New Economics Foundation
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Chaitanya Kumar @chaitanyakumar.bsky.social · 01/04/2026
Another crisitunity moment faces us - a clear choice between regressing to the old energy system that might feel comfortable or move rapidly to a new energy system that is challenging but is a more befitting response to the crisis. Op-ed by me in the guardian. 👇👇 www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
This is what a fossil-fuel shock looks like. The UK must adapt its energy system – and quickly | Chaitanya Kumar
The Iran war will hit food prices, fuel costs and interest rates. But we could could turn this crisis to our advantage, says Chaitanya Kumar of the New Economics Foundation
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Green Alliance @green-alliance.org.uk · 26/03/2026
#GAevent 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸: join us and a panel of experts one month on from the start of the latest oil and gas crisis to unpack the instability and what it means for the cost of living in the UK. 📅 1 April, 12:00–13:00 | Online
eventbrite.co.uk
How does conflict abroad shape energy, costs and climate choices at home?
Join us for a responsive webinar, one month on from the start of the latest oil and gas crisis.
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Chaitanya Kumar @chaitanyakumar.bsky.social · 18/03/2026
@zackpolanski.bsky.social giving his first major speech on the economy at @neweconomics.bsky.social 's 40th anniversary. Starts off with a call to freeze the price cap at current levels and willing to shield consumers up to a £300 bill rise.
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Chaitanya Kumar @chaitanyakumar.bsky.social · 25/02/2026
Good news on the energy price cap. A 7% fall, driven largely by policy decisions and a bit by wholesale prices, is a relief for the govt. and hhlds. It won't stop the incessant attacks on net zero. A few red/amber flags to watch out for. 👇👇
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Chaitanya Kumar @chaitanyakumar.bsky.social · 19/02/2026
Recreated this for Britain, no job displacement (yet)!... and besides, too soon to make broad brush statements on losses.
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Chaitanya Kumar @chaitanyakumar.bsky.social · 19/02/2026
@theifs.bsky.social isn't exactly radical but they are rightly calling for a serious rethink of the current fiscal framework... and how it's leading to "dysfunctional policymaking". It's time for the Chancellor to pay attention! We @neweconomics.bsky.social would go much further. Some thoughts 👇👇
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Leo Hickman @leohickman.carbonbrief.org · 17/02/2026
An extraordinary new column in the Daily Telegraph (no, that's not a typo!) by Ambrose Evans Pritchard. Yes, it includes two charts by Carbon Brief, sure. But stay for the concluding few paragraphs about the electoral suicide of climate denial... www.telegraph.co.uk/business/202...
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Chaitanya Kumar @chaitanyakumar.bsky.social · 10/02/2026
Today's auction results take us a step closer in realising the clean power mission. Every GW of new solar and wind is a step towards reducing our reliance on volatile gas and that builds a more resilient economy in the long term. 👏👏 Quick thoughts on the results
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Chaitanya Kumar @chaitanyakumar.bsky.social · 03/02/2026
If all my license fee just went to funding BBC verify, I'd be happy with that.
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Chaitanya Kumar @chaitanyakumar.bsky.social · 28/01/2026
Thanks Danny! :)
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Chaitanya Kumar @chaitanyakumar.bsky.social · 21/01/2026
Some more thoughts on today's warm homes plan from the government. A much welcome refresh to the retrofit strategy albeit with some gaps. 👇👇 chaitanyakumark.substack.com/publish/post...
chaitanyakumark.substack.com
RIP Fabric-First? A closer look at the UK's new retrofit strategy
The what, why, who and how of the new Warm Homes Plan.
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Chaitanya Kumar @chaitanyakumar.bsky.social · 21/01/2026
Carney is the poster child for economic liberalism, a true 'Davos man'. Now he's effectively calling for abandoning neoliberalism to save political liberalism.
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Chaitanya Kumar @chaitanyakumar.bsky.social · 21/01/2026
Very pleased to read the PR for the Warm Homes Plan this morning. The best insurance against energy price volatility is a solar + battery combo for a household. So it's excellent to see an ambition of tripling rooftops with PV. Combine it with a battery and its magic! www.gov.uk/government/n...
gov.uk
Families to save in biggest home upgrade plan in British history
Government launches Warm Homes Plan to upgrade the nation's homes, help families cut their energy bills, and tackle fuel poverty.
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New Economics Foundation @neweconomics.bsky.social · 20/01/2026
The rising cost of finance played a big role in the higher prices we saw at this auction. But this is something the government can and should start to address. @chaitanyakumar.bsky.social explains. neweconomics.org/2026/01/maki...
neweconomics.org
Making progress on clean power, but at what price?
The latest offshore wind auction secured a record 8.4GW of new capacity, but the cost of finance has pushed up prices
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Chaitanya Kumar @chaitanyakumar.bsky.social · 15/01/2026
Following on from this thread, a more detailed post about my frustrations with the latest auction round for offshore wind - open.substack.com/pub/chaitany...
open.substack.com
Auctions. Auctions. Auctions
Was the latest renewable energy auction really a good deal for British consumers? Depends on who you ask.
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Chaitanya Kumar @chaitanyakumar.bsky.social · 14/01/2026
Record breaking offshore wind auction results today! Whopping 8.4 GW of capacity secured. This is great news for keeping the clean power mission on target and making Britain a clean energy superpower. Quick thoughts and a few big BUT's 👇
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Chaitanya Kumar @chaitanyakumar.bsky.social · 26/11/2025
Thoughts on the Chancellor's big, hugely consequential budget. The fiscal headroom chatter will be put to rest for a couple of years (despite the arbitrariness of these targets) but some key energy and cost of living decisions in the budget. Thoughts below 👇
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Naomi Alderman @naomialderman.bsky.social · 10/11/2025
inspired by this, I have done a free extract of this section of the book here. it is about understanding that *with all its problems* the BBC is as important for our intellectual health as the NHS is for our physical health: naomialderman.substack.com/p/the-bbc-an...
naomialderman.substack.com
the BBC and why it needs defending
even if you don't always agree with it, and sometimes it does things that you think are outright terrible
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Chaitanya Kumar @chaitanyakumar.bsky.social · 14/10/2025
This is terrible and worrying but calls to scrap ECO scheme altogether are knee jerk at best and won't do anything to ramp up the rate of insulation measures. Suspend rogue installers publicly + gradually move away from a supplier led delivery model. www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
Almost all external insulation fitted under Tory scheme needs repair or replacing, report finds
Homeowners who took advantage of government programmes left with cladding likely to cause damp
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Chaitanya Kumar @chaitanyakumar.bsky.social · 14/10/2025
Like stamp duty, council tax is reviled on the right and the left. Calls for reforming it are welcome and the govt. should at least get the ball rolling on that this budget. We propose: ☑️Proportional property tax ☑️Scrap SDLT ☑️Reform business rates with land tax www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
theguardian.com
Labour MPs call on Rachel Reeves to scrap council tax
Exclusive: 13 mainly northern MPs say a new system should better account for higher house prices in south-east
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Chaitanya Kumar @chaitanyakumar.bsky.social · 02/10/2025
The conservatives making a pig's breakfast of everything. Exhibit 121. 👇👎
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Chaitanya Kumar @chaitanyakumar.bsky.social · 30/09/2025
Looking forward to celebrating this moment! Small bit significant win of it happens
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Chaitanya Kumar @chaitanyakumar.bsky.social · 30/09/2025
As speeches go, that was pretty good from Starmer. Low on policy detail and high on story telling and taking it to Reform, which was absolutely the right tenor for the moment he and the govt. finds themselves in. Enough to stave off any internal rebellion till the May election!
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New Economics Foundation @neweconomics.bsky.social · 01/08/2025
“The numbers should be taken with a pinch of salt.” NEF’s @alchap.bsky.social on Heathrow for ITV. “Similar figures were promoted last time round and were later discredited by the government’s own advisers.” 🔗 itv.com/news/2025-07-31/heathrow-reveals-plan-for-third-runway-but-will-it-take-off
itv.com
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Chaitanya Kumar @chaitanyakumar.bsky.social · 25/07/2025
David Mencer has to be the most insufferable human being on the planet!
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New Economics Foundation @neweconomics.bsky.social · 17/07/2025
We found that Reform's plans to attack renewable energy industries could wipe £92bn off the UK economy and destroy 60,000 jobs by the end of the decade. These plans would damage our economic health and the health of our climate. 1/2
Image of Nigel Farage in Parliament. Text overlayed reads: Reform's anti-renewables policies could wipe £92bn off the economy
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New Economics Foundation @neweconomics.bsky.social · 26/06/2025
Who is benefitting from this government's airport expansion drive? ✈️ Meet... the ultra-frequent flyer. @alchap.bsky.social breaks down everything you need to know about this group, and how the are taking more than their fair share of flights. 1/2
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Chaitanya Kumar @chaitanyakumar.bsky.social · 23/06/2025
There's a lot to dig into the government's new industrial strategy policy paper. But a few quick thoughts on the 'clean energy sector plan' published today. 👇 assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/685878...
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
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Chaitanya Kumar @chaitanyakumar.bsky.social · 18/06/2025
You've heard of frequent flyers, but we've got some new research for you on the idea of ultra- frequent flyers. Exciting work from my colleague @alchap.bsky.social where he makes a compelling case as to why this new class of flyers is not paying it's fair share of tax and how we can fix it. 👇👇
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Auke Hoekstra @aukehoekstra.bsky.social · 17/06/2025
The official report on the blackout in Spain and Portugal was just released. I'll give a quick summary of findings and provide some additional info. TL;DR conventional power plants didn't control the voltage as planned over-voltage caused renewables to turn off as required
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Paul Krugman @pkrugman.bsky.social · 12/06/2025
Folks, CBO estimate of the distributional effect of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act is out: www.cbo.gov/system/files... It's grotesque
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Chaitanya Kumar @chaitanyakumar.bsky.social · 12/06/2025
This is an unfortunate headline. There's no 'raiding' of the GBE budget for nuclear. The disappointment is its official classification as an investment vehicle and not a generator that builds, operates and fully owns energy assets. That was the original vision! www.theguardian.com/business/202...
theguardian.com
GB Energy’s promised £8.3bn budget raided to pay for small nuclear reactors
National energy company effectively loses £2.5bn to separate body tasked with spearheading nuclear renaissance
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Chaitanya Kumar @chaitanyakumar.bsky.social · 11/06/2025
Looks like GB energy is a public finance institution after all! Oh well, that is disappointing. The vision was to have a publicly owned generator of mature tech, now it will offer loans and buy equity. The OG vision deferred to the 2030s or beyond.
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New Economics Foundation @neweconomics.bsky.social · 30/05/2025
NEW: Our latest analysis reveals that Reform's anti-environmental policies could cost the country £92bn in lost revenue and wipe out more than 60,000 jobs by the end of the decade.
Text: Reform's anti-renewables policies could wipe £92bn off the economy
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Chaitanya Kumar @chaitanyakumar.bsky.social · 30/04/2025
This is what you get when technocrats wade into a knife fight with a spreadsheet (a weak one in this case). They think they’re depoliticising the climate debate, but all they’re really doing is laundering right-wing talking points in the language of reason.
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New Economics Foundation @neweconomics.bsky.social · 29/04/2025
Britain has a history of engineering innovation and investment - let's apply the same spirit to meet the challenge of energy security. Read @chaitanyakumar.bsky.social's latest blog to find out how we can do it: neweconomics.org/2025/04/blam...
neweconomics.org
Blaming the blackout on net zero won’t keep the lights on
The blackout in Spain and Portugal is a reminder of the complexities involved in modernising our energy systems. Rather than retreating from net zero we need to rise to the challenge.
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New Economics Foundation @neweconomics.bsky.social · 28/04/2025
Extreme wealth threatens our shared future. But together, we can push back. We want to equip campaigners, organisers and local leaders with the tools to challenge extreme wealth - in politics, media and the economy. But we need your donations to power that work: donate.biggive.org/campaign/a05...
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Duncan Robinson @duncanrobinson.bsky.social · 17/04/2025
Exactly. No one has a problem with basic bitch patriotism, they have problems with the policy
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Chaitanya Kumar @chaitanyakumar.bsky.social · 17/04/2025
NESO did say 2025 would be the year when this could happen, back in 2019!! Amazing if it does. www.neso.energy/news/zero-ca...
neso.energy
Zero carbon operation of Great Britain’s electricity system by 2025 | National Energy System Operatorlogo--facebook
National Grid Electricity System Operator (ESO) has announced it will be able to fully operate Great Britain’s electricity system with zero carbon by 2025.
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Chaitanya Kumar @chaitanyakumar.bsky.social · 17/04/2025
Bond markets, doing what they do best, intimidate!
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Chaitanya Kumar @chaitanyakumar.bsky.social · 10/04/2025
Brown is right about one thing in this piece, we need greater coordination between monetary and fiscal institutions to buffet against the persistent shocks to the economy. Some Asian nations have done it for a while but orthodoxy is holding back economies here. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
theguardian.com
Gordon Brown calls for ‘economic coalition of the willing’ to tackle Trump tariffs
Former PM says it is also the moment for the UK to go even further in renewing ties with the EU
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Chaitanya Kumar @chaitanyakumar.bsky.social · 31/03/2025
Some thoughts on the British Steel crisis that is playing out at the moment.... and why nationalising wouldn't be a bad idea. www.linkedin.com/pulse/nation...
linkedin.com
Nationalising British Steel wouldn’t be a bad idea
The UK’s last remaining site of primary steel production is on the brink. British Steel, owned by the Chinese conglomerate Jingye Group, has warned it may soon close its blast furnaces in Scunthorpe, ...
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New Economics Foundation @neweconomics.bsky.social · 27/03/2025
🚨The chancellor's spring statement has reinforced the austerity doom loop the country is stuck in. Only by replacing the fiscal rules can we get out of this cycle of austerity and economic decline.
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Chaitanya Kumar @chaitanyakumar.bsky.social · 27/03/2025
If you are in East London this evening, come by to our event with @neweconomics.bsky.social and @neonuk.bsky.social on artificial intelligence and the Left. Drop by at Oxford House in Bethnal Green from 6:30. Details here www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-future....
eventbrite.co.uk
The Future with AI: Who’s in Control?
Join NEON and NEF for a joint social and panel event on AI
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Chaitanya Kumar @chaitanyakumar.bsky.social · 27/03/2025
First blue sky post with some reflections on yesterdays fiscal statement from the Chancellor. Check it out 👇 www.linkedin.com/pulse/hope-h...
linkedin.com
Hope, headroom and the cost of austerity
On the surface, the Chancellor’s Spring Statement and the Office for Budget Responsibility’s (OBR) March 2025 outlook paint a slightly reassuring picture: stable public finances, a modest return to gr...
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