Renewable power has long struggled to shake off an image of idealism in the hard-nosed energy world. But the energy crisis has presented an opportunity to change perceptions: clean energy is not only about reducing pollution or hitting net zero emissions targets; it is also about making countries more secure.
Today, the price of gas is trading at roughly 10 times the level it averaged over the previous decade, after Russia cut supplies to Europe in retaliation for western sanctions over its invasion of Ukraine. Electricity prices, often linked to the price of gas, have also soared. And that has pushed energy security to the top of the political agenda.
Governments are now pumping hundreds of billions of pounds and euros into schemes to support households and businesses through this winter and the next. However, sections of the energy industry are calling for a longer-term solution. For renewable energy companies — and nuclear providers, too — this is a chance to demonstrate that they can be integral to an energy security policy.