Historically we’ve been caught up in a cycle of investing in more fossil fuels as a knee jerk reaction to problems caused by disruption to fossil fuel supplies. This creates an unhelpful loop of dependence in which UK billpayers are left exposed to price hikes determined by unpredictable international oil and gas markets. And despite calls from some politicians to drill more at home, doubling down on UK oil and gas production won’t save billpayers a penny as gas prices are set on global gas markets regardless of where the gas is produced.  

To build a truly resilient power system, protected from price shocks, we need to break the cycle of reinvesting in fossil fuels, and focus on increasing homegrown clean energy here in the UK. Clean, homegrown power sources like wind and solar aren’t tied to international markets like fossil fuels, offering a stable price of electricity. The Climate Change Committee has found that the UK Government can deliver its long-term net-zero target for less than it spent responding to the energy price crisis resulting from the Russia-Ukraine war. 

Building energy security isn’t just about bills, it’s important for national security too. A new report commissioned by RenewableUK has found that as geopolitical shocks, extreme weather and cyber threats become more frequent, energy security must be treated with the same seriousness as defence capability, supply chains and other critical national infrastructure. A power system built around renewables — supported by storage and flexibility — is also more resilient against physical disruption than a fossil-fuel based system. Wind and solar generation is spread across the country, meaning there are fewer single points which could be targeted than in a system reliant on centralised plants.  And let’s not forget that climate change itself is one of the largest threats to humanity. 

Renewables also keep the benefits close to home. Local participation in clean energy projects ensure communities across the UK benefit from access to clean, homegrown power in their area. We can deliver projects where the profits from the sale of electricity from local renewables projects go into the pockets of local people, not large corporates. Take the Ambition Community Energy wind turbine in Bristol which Thrive helped fund – as well as generating enough clean electricity to power around 3,000 homes, all profits from electricity sales (around £100,000 a year) go to the community. Projects like this that are built locally have a big impact nationally – strengthening energy security and reducing UK carbon emissions.   

We’ve got a long way to go to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and boost energy security. But together we are already making progress in delivering a cleaner, more resilient energy system – last year, renewables generated nearly half of the UK’s total electricity demand. And in times like these, a proactive response isn’t doom-scrolling or wishful thinking, it’s getting on with building proven, homegrown solutions.