Warning as energy woes set to worsen in winter

A TOP energy scientist warned the UK’s energy crisis could get worse in winter.

Gas prices have soared globally with domestic bills also rising.

Tory MP Kwasi Kwarteng claimed “there’s no question of the lights going out this winter” amid fears of a return to the 70s.

Professor John Underhill from the School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society at Heriot-Watt University, said: “Our current energy crisis is a result of a perfect storm of factors including a complete lack of subsurface storage for renewable energy and a decline in our indigenous resources.

“But it also highlights an underinvestment in the renewable energy sector by government and this will need to change if it is serious about transitioning from oil and gas in favour of renewable energy.

“Without addressing the need to replenish sources, have secure and reliable supplies and storage issues, the current crisis is simply a warning of what is to come over the winter and beyond.

“The real challenge will lie on cold, dark, windless days of winter when demand for heat, light and energy are at their highest.

“At present, the UK’s energy needs are challenged. In fact, we are so stretched right now that we have had to re-start a coal-fired power station in the lead up to COP26, which is not the best optic, but is the reality.

“When that is decommissioned and off line, we will no longer have that safety net.

“Short of the lights going out, cookers failing to light and radiators going cold, this may be as close as we get to the ‘black swan’ moment where people realise where our energy comes from and our need to ensure there is sufficient homegrown supply, reliable import sources and back up to avoid shut downs and other unintended consequences for food supply chains and the like.

“I hope that Kwasi Kwarteng’s statement that “there’s no question of the lights going out this winter” doesn’t become his political epitaph.

“Traditional fossil fuels have a vital role to play in our energy transition goals and to alleviate fuel poverty.

“While it’s clear society’s continued reliance on fossil fuels is untenable given climate change predictions, this demand will need to be phased out gradually and emphasises the need for a managed energy transition as opposed to a cliff edge halt.”