What Tony Blair Gets Wrong About Energy (And the Economy)

What Tony Blair Gets Wrong About Energy (And the Economy)

A few weeks ago, Tony Blair published an essay arguing that the UK should focus less on clean power, and more on cheap power. But is that really the choice Britain faces? And in a world of rising electricity demand, data centres, expensive gas, and growing pressure on the grid, what would genuinely cheap power actually look like? This week, Andrew Sissons returns to the podcast to join host Sulaiman Ilyas-Jarrett for a conversation about the politics and economics behind Blair’s argument. They discuss the growing influence of AI on energy policy, why US-style energy abundance does not easily translate to the UK, whether gas can really provide cheap power, and why clean electricity is still Britain’s best route to lower bills and higher growth. Keywords: Tony Blair | AI | Cheap Power | Clean Power | Growth | Electricity Prices | Data Centres | Renewables | Gas | Net Zero | UK Energy

Chris Stark on the UK's Clean Power Future

This week we have a special episode of The Energy Revolution Podcast, as we’re joined by Chris Stark, Head of the UK’s Clean Power Mission, to discuss the UK’s plan to build a clean power system by 2030. What has the Clean Power Mission achieved so far? And how can the UK make sure clean power translates into lower bills, greater energy security and a more electrified economy? Chris and our host, Sulaiman Ilyas-Jarrett, discuss what it is like working at the centre of government on one of the UK’s biggest infrastructure challenges, why the next phase of the mission is about demand as well as supply, and what it would take for Britain to become an “electrostate”. They also cover electricity prices, the industrial opportunities from clean power, and how the UK’s energy transition fits into the wider global picture. Keywords: Clean Power 2030 | Chris Stark | Energy Security | Electricity Prices | Grid | Renewables | Electrification | Net Zero | Industrial Strategy | UK Energy

Why North Sea Oil Won’t Make Us More Secure, With Tessa Khan

For decades, the North Sea has played a major role in Britain’s energy system, economy and industrial base. But production has been declining for years, and the debate over what should happen next remains highly contested. Why are projects like Jackdaw and Rosebank still being reconsidered? What does the government’s position on new licences mean in practice? And what would further domestic production mean for bills, energy security, jobs and the UK’s climate targets? This week, Tessa Khan joins host Sulaiman Ilyas-Jarrett to discuss the future of the North Sea oil and gas sector. They cover the history of the basin, the arguments for and against further extraction, and what a successful transition for North Sea workers and communities could look like. Keywords: North Sea | Oil and Gas | Energy Security | Rosebank | Jackdaw | Jobs | Just Transition | Climate | Net Zero | UK Energy

Green Tech and the "Valley of Death", with Rhian-Mari Thomas OBE (GFI)

This week we're live from Innovation Zero, to talk the challenges of scaling new climate technologies. The so-called "valley of death" affects all sectors, but clean tech is particularly difficult to move from research to wide-scale adoption. Why? And what can we do about it? Our guest this week is Rhian-Mari Thomas OBE, CEO at the Green Finance Institute and the first person to win an OBE for services to Green Finance. Our host is Sulaiman Ilyas-Jarrett, former UK government advisor and Policy Fellow at Cambridge Centre for Science and Policy. The two discuss why new energy techs are so hard to finance, the importance of failure for some techs, and why innovation is crucial for the world's climate ambition.

Can Britain really go Electric? with Ben Westerman

The Hormuz Oil Crisis is reminding Britain just how reliant we still are on oil and gas. Our electricity is fairly clean, but only 21% of final energy use is electrified. The rest - in our homes, our cars, and our industries - relies on increasingly volatile and expensive oil and gas. Why is Britain so far behind in electrifying compared to countries like France, the Netherlands, or Norway? And what can be done to reverse course and insulate our economy from global shocks like this in the future? This week Ben Westerman, Director of Policy and Advocacy at Electrify Britain, joins our host Sulaiman Ilyas-Jarrett to discuss the state of Britain's electrification. Keywords: Iran | Oil | Renewables | Trump | Geopolitics | EVs | Reform