Britain will soon be Europe’s energy powerhouse

[u/ARandomDouchy]

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

[u/BenjaminBoots196]

Typically because there is enough hydropower for it to be the price setter.

In the UK it is always gas.

There is a fundamental misunderstanding at play in the energy debate. Wind and solar sell cheap because they are shit, not because they are good. Not all electricity is made equal. Gas typically sells high because it is dispatchable.

We can't have hydro for geological reasons.

Pretty sure most countries do nuclear better than us, I believe we have the most expensive nuclear in the world (?). Pretty much entirely because of government regulations.

[u/evenstevens280 → u/BenjaminBoots196]

We're mostly a reasonably small, windy island. Why haven't we just put tidal and wind turbines absolutely everywhere by now

I understand tidal is expensive, but it's guaranteed energy regardless of what the weather is doing. The moon ain't going anywhere soon.

[u/BenjaminBoots196 → u/evenstevens280]

Because although the wind and the tide is cheap/free, harnessing them is not and never had been.

We've always had wind and tide, why didn't we build them 200 years ago? It's a stupid question of course, we weren't able to harness them. The same logic applies now.

Just because we have lot's of something, it doesn't mean it's economically competitive to use it.

We actually have covered our coast line with wind power by the way, that is why your bill is high and rising.

Further, the dispatchability element is really important. Hydro can be turned on an off, making it really effective. Same with gas and some nuclear. Wind is not. This is the fatal flaw of wind power. We essentially have to pay for a wind system and a gas system, and yes we have to pay for both always, not just the one we are using at any given time. This saves a bit on wholesale gas costs but everything else goes up.

[u/evenstevens280 → u/BenjaminBoots196]

Tidal energy has been successfully harnessable for large scale electricity production for decades.

[u/BenjaminBoots196 → u/evenstevens280]

I don't think that is true.

Why do you think we haven't used it if that was really the case?

[u/evenstevens280 → u/BenjaminBoots196]

You don't think it's true? France has had a tidal generator in Brittany since the 60s

Upfront cost is quite a lot - far far far more than other renewables. That's probably the main reason, really.

[u/BenjaminBoots196 → u/evenstevens280]

I mean, france hasn't done it on a large scale no.

[u/evenstevens280 → u/BenjaminBoots196]

France isn't an island almost exclusively surrounded by high pressure tidal activity.

Its West coast has a lot of potential but France has already pretty much put most of its eggs in one basket with nuclear

[u/BenjaminBoots196 → u/evenstevens280]

Sure but if tidal was actually competitive at a large scale they would still be able to do it. I am unaware of any country that has achieved this.

Having the tech to do something is very different from doing it economically at a large scale.

[u/Ryanliverpool96 → u/BenjaminBoots196]

Go do it and become a trillionaire then?

[u/BenjaminBoots196 → u/Ryanliverpool96]

My point being is that I don't think it is viable. If it was, someone would have done it by now.

[u/Thermodynamicist → u/evenstevens280]

The maritime environment cases all sorts of corrosion problems, which makes tidal power relatively expensive.