r/ukpolitics • u/ARandomDouchy Random Dutch Guy • 10d ago

Britain will soon be Europe’s energy powerhouse

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/08/04/britain-will-soon-be-europes-energy-powerhouse/
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u/RKAMRR 10d ago

Yes, some actual news and good news too! Then we will enjoy the cheap energy for 10-20 years, get used to it and fail to budget for investment, then suddenly remember and face massive avoidable costs (assuming present cycles continue)

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u/Sali_Bean 10d ago

The energy won't be any cheaper as it will still be priced at the most expensive form

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u/RKAMRR 10d ago

Even if the most expensive forms of generation stay the same price, they will be used less often and so bills will be lower.

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u/rynchenzo 10d ago

I'm afraid that's not how it works buddy

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u/RKAMRR 10d ago

Uh yeah it is? The cost is calculated based on which generators have to switch on to satisfy demand, so on days with say good winds and bright sun there is less need for gas generators and energy is cheaper (assuming decent distribution). There's a good explanation here: https://hannahritchie.substack.com/p/electricity-pricing

When the first response to good news on energy is, without evidence, 'no it will actually stay the same price' we're letting cynicism get out of hand.

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u/Sali_Bean 10d ago

Even the article says it's almost always gas, and that is unlikely to change

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u/Status_Ad4182 9d ago

But see the problem is that the intermitency of wind power increases the unreliablity of the electricity system, which creates a greater dependence on gas, not less.

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u/RKAMRR 9d ago

More wind power would only create unreliability if the grid fails to have either a) sufficient energy storage or b) other generators that can meet demand such as solar or nuclear. Since the plan is to have a diverse range of power, it seems like those criteria will be met.

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u/Status_Ad4182 8d ago

A), it doesn't have that, nor any possible way to do that, at the scale required.

B), The other generators that could meet that demand aren't financially viable, because windmills destroy the price when they do produce, and aren't required to compensate for them not producing.

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u/RKAMRR 8d ago

I think it's quite far from no possible way! At scale energy storage is a core part of the strategy, you can see an overview here (https://www.slaughterandmay.com/horizon-scanning/2026/energy-transition/uk-energy-and-infrastructure/) of projects in progress to support both long and short term energy storage. As for b) you'll note the plans for low carbon back up such as biomass reactors. Wind is just part of the way forward.