The Redwood Response: Energy Security

The government's wish to rely more on imported energy is at best naïve and at worst mendacious. I agree with the Minister in the Independent article yesterday: "If the great question of post-Brexit Britain is how we can ensure, as an island nation, we can deliver national resilience, then energy security is one of the most valuable prizes. There is no defence security without economic security; and no economic security without energy security." I do not agree that putting in more interconnectors, and hoping the French will be kind to us whenever our wind turbines are stilled and the sun is not shining, represents national security.

The Minister wrongly asserts that oil and gas generated electricity is dearer than renewables. That does not take into account the need to pay for back up and stand by power for all the renewables, which you do not need for gas generation. Nor does it allow for the fact that the costs of the gas generation include a large carbon tax not also levied on the renewables. This levy is a positive receipt for the Treasury and just another tax on consumers, not part of the costs of producing the power.

The Minister seems to think when we need to import power it will be cheaper than home produced. Why? Quite often when we are forced to import now for lack of capacity at home we have to pay high market prices, as the continent may also be short at the same time. Why take that risk?

You don't get energy security by relying on other countries and people who may put their own interests first. They may use their energy supply at a time of our energy shortage to blackmail to get something else for themselves. They will charge us a high price for the power. Many times when our windfarms and solar panels are idle the same weather will be hitting our neighbours on the continent, making their power scarce and dear at the same time. When we have an abundance of renewables, so may they.

There are plenty of times across the Channel, that they are short of power. Germany foolishly closed all her nuclear stations and had to get off Russian gas. The Netherlands implemented a fairly severe net zero policy also creating difficulties . France does have substantial nuclear power, but from ageing stations that sometimes let it down. Not so long ago France was short with several of its nuclear power reactors closed for maintenance. There are political disputes in France about exporting electricity cheaply to other countries when the French government is raising taxes that French households have to pay for their electricity. French politics is volatile and the government does not have a majority.

Five years ago when Macron wanted more French fishing licences in UK / Channel Islands waters there were threats to withhold electricity supply. Clement Beaune, the French Europe minister, warned that the EU would retaliate if more French fishing boats were not granted access to the UK's coastal waters or if the Government used the Northern Ireland Protocol. As the row continued, they threatened to cut off power across the Channel, and specifically the Channel Islands.

There is an overwhelming case for being self sufficient in energy. Interconnectors under the sea are vulnerable to enemy action. Overseas suppliers cannot be relied on. There is no need to surrender the jobs and the taxes home produced energy delivers. We always used to have enough home power not to need imports. Let's make that the aim. That way we will get energy security and national security.

• You can read the original article in The Independent, to which the above acts in response, at the following link here