Renewables tycoon Dale Vince, a former Just Stop Oil donor, now backs the Rosebank and Jackdaw North Sea fields only if price controls make their oil and gas cheaper than imported energy. The shift puts him at odds with climate campaigners opposed to new drilling.
Vince gave Just Stop Oil more than £340,000 and previously backed its demand to halt new North Sea drilling. He withdrew support in 2023, saying the group’s disruptive protests had become counterproductive. His current proposal would use fixed-price contracts like those offered to wind farms, giving producers stable prices while limiting gains from price spikes.
Some climate activists say Vince’s price-control conditions are unrealistic. Friends of the Earth says new drilling will not lower bills, while Uplift says Rosebank is overwhelmingly oil for export. According to The Telegraph, Andy Burnham is minded to approve Jackdaw; Rosebank remains undecided, and a decision may not come until autumn.
