Fahnbulleh faces isolation as ministers weigh approval for Rosebank drilling
The article says Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh is increasingly isolated as the Prime Minister and Chancellor are reported to favour approving drilling at the Rosebank oil field. It presents this as part of a wider shift in government emphasis towards reducing energy costs and securing supply, alongside climate goals.
A Labour source says the Rosebank decision will be made across government, while Fahnbulleh’s aides and the Energy Department say she alone will decide through a quasi-judicial process. The article notes that the Budget included projected Rosebank tax receipts. It also reports that September brought £505 million in costs linked to balancing wind power, and cites an estimate that disconnecting turbines could cost £9 billion by 2029, potentially adding up to £100 to household bills.
In short
- Ministers are reported to be prioritising cheaper, secure energy.
- Rosebank’s approval process has become a Cabinet dispute.
- Wind curtailment costs and grid constraints are adding pressure.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Approving Rosebank could support energy security and help contain costs while the UK manages the transition to lower-carbon power. Supporters may argue that domestic production can reduce reliance on imports, and that projected tax receipts and the reported costs of balancing wind power make the economic case worth considering alongside climate goals.
The case against
Opponents may argue that approving a new oil field would prolong dependence on fossil fuels and sit uneasily with the government’s climate commitments. They may also question whether Rosebank would materially improve energy security or household bills, and stress that projected revenues and balancing costs do not by themselves settle the field’s broader environmental and economic merits.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh isolated as PM and Chancellor row back from Net Zero”.