Tony Blair’s thinktank, the Tony Blair Institute (TBI), has blamed Ed Miliband for rising energy prices due to his push for a greener UK energy supply. On Friday, the TBI published a report that criticises government green policies and calls for scrapping some targets, including near-complete decarbonisation of electricity by 2030. The report, written by senior energy policy adviser Tone Langengen and backed by Blair, says, “If Clean Power 2030 was ever fit for purpose, that is no longer the case: the world has changed economically, technologically and geopolitically.” The TBI warns UK energy policy is not adapting to new challenges, leading to rising costs. In response, a Labour source said, “The mainstream, centre-ground position, backed by the economics and British business, is that getting off expensive fossil fuel markets controlled by petrostates and dictators and on to clean homegrown power is the right choice for Britain.” Miliband faces pressure to cut energy bills, having promised a £300 average reduction before the election. Centrica’s chief executive, Chris O’Shea, recently said electricity prices in 2030 will be higher than during the peak of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Blair has previously criticised government energy policies, calling the phase-out of fossil fuels “doomed to fail” and labelling the climate debate “riven with irrationality.” Blair’s thinktank works with petrostates like Saudi Arabia and claims firm clean power targets regardless of costs push prices up. Conservatives and Reform UK have echoed similar views, pledging to drop UK climate commitments if elected. The TBI supports the 2050 net zero goal but objects to current short-term policies. Last month, the government commissioned 8.4GW of offshore wind at an average price of £60.25 per MWh, a 50% rise since 2019. Ministers say this is cheaper than new gas power, though the TBI calls current gas prices temporarily high due to the Ukraine war. Government spokespeople insist that clean power is key to cutting bills and reducing reliance on petrostates and dictators, stating, “The route to energy sovereignty, lower bills and thousands of good jobs in our communities is becoming a clean energy superpower.” The TBI also wants more North Sea drilling and lifting the windfall tax on oil and gas firms, saying domestic production is a strategic asset. Blair says his goals focus on helping cash-strapped consumers and ensuring enough electricity for a future driven by artificial intelligence. Critics argue his motives include funding his institute, which receives millions from donors like Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison and works with energy-producing countries. A TBI spokesperson said, “Our work on net zero and energy is grounded in one principle: policies must reflect the real world. Claims that our analysis is shaped by the fact we work in energy-producing countries are false. They avoid engaging with the substance of the argument, which is based on data and global trends.”