Securing the UK’s energy future through clean, domestic power is essential for national security, economic stability, and geopolitical strength.
Since the start of its illegal invasion of Ukraine, Russia has earned an estimated £738 billion in fossil fuel revenues — funding its war machine while UK households have faced soaring energy bills. My constituents in Warwick and Leamington are already struggling with high bills. Why should they be at the mercy of energy prices dictated by hostile regimes?
Britain now faces a choice: invest in our energy security or remain dangerously exposed to global threats.
Over the past year and a half we’ve seen multiple acts of sabotage — the severing of undersea communication cables and the Nord Stream gas pipeline damaged — underscoring how critical energy infrastructure is a frontline in modern conflicts. The government has responded to surrounding concerns by ordering the RAF to step up surveillance of gas pipelines from Norway, recognising the growing threat to our energy supply. But defensive measures alone are not enough. A homegrown energy system powered by British energy sources is far harder to disrupt than one reliant on fossil fuels shipped from unstable regions or vulnerable undersea infrastructure.
Just last month, the fragility of fossil fuel supply chains was exposed when an oil tanker collided with a cargo ship in the North Sea. A single accident or attack can cause supply disruptions, damage and price volatility. By contrast, renewables are generated domestically and less dependent on complex and fragile networks. Reducing our reliance on centralised fossil fuel infrastructure and markets mitigates the risks posed by hostile state actors seeking to manipulate our energy supply, and mitigates against unfortunate accidents.
This is not an isolated issue. Last year, a drought on the Rhine caused oil and coal shortages across Europe, disrupting supply chains and forcing emergency stockpiling. In 2021, a single container ship blocking the Suez Canal for six days delayed billions of pounds worth of oil and gas shipments.
This is the reality of relying on a system that depends on fuel being shipped thousands of miles across the globe. The more we rely on imported energy, the more we expose ourselves to risks beyond our control.
Beyond security concerns, reliance on imported fossil fuels is an economic weakness. Every time global energy prices rise, British businesses and households pay the price. When gas prices spiked in 2022, it wasn’t because of anything that happened in the UK – it was because of events thousands of miles away.
Some argue that we should return to North Sea oil and gas suggesting that we could bring down energy prices but they conveniently forget that those sources are governed by international energy price markets and will gain us nothing other than revenues. By backing homegrown energy industries — whether in nuclear, battery storage, or British wind and solar — we can create thousands of jobs in the UK, reduce reliance on imports, and keep energy bills stable. Places like Warwick and Leamington, with their strong manufacturing and engineering base, are well-placed to contribute to and benefit from this shift.
To be truly self-sufficient, we urgently need to modernise and expand our electricity grid. Britain’s infrastructure was built for a world where energy came from a handful of centralised power stations. That world no longer exists.
A modernised grid would allow us to store and distribute homegrown energy efficiently, ensuring households and businesses have a reliable supply regardless of global events. It would also enable the UK to better support our European allies, reducing the continent’s overall dependence on unstable regimes.
Some argue that shifting our energy system is too expensive. But the truth is, the cost of inaction is far greater. Every pound we spend importing gas is a pound not spent strengthening Britain’s economy or defences.
The government has already pledged an increase in defence spending. But military strength alone is not enough — economic resilience is just as important. A country that cannot control its own energy supply is vulnerable.
That’s why GB Energy and the government’s overall efforts to modernise our energy system are so crucial. Weakening the government’s ability to coordinate and invest in Britain’s energy infrastructure now would be an act of self-sabotage.
When announcing the increase in defence spending on 25th February, the prime minister said: “the defence and the security of the British people must always come first“. If Britain wants to remain a leader on the world stage and protect people at home, we must invest in energy independence. The countries that win the future will be those that control their own energy supply — not those clinging to outdated, vulnerable systems dictated by foreign powers.
The prime minister recently announced the government is drafting a National Security Strategy to be published ahead of the NATO summit in June. Securing our energy independence should be a key pillar of that strategy. If we are serious about strengthening Britain’s defences, we must recognise that energy security is national security — and act accordingly.
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