Clean power fortifies Britain against gas price shocks

The report analyzes the role of renewable energy in shielding Britain from a fossil fuel crisis in March 2026. It finds that new wind and solar capacity reduced gas-fired power generation by 39% compared to 2021, avoiding approximately £7 million in daily gas purchases during the first four weeks of the crisis.

• A conflict between the US, Israel, and Iran starting on 28 February 2026 triggered a fossil fuel crisis that increased the cost of gas-fired power generation in Britain by 42% in the first four weeks, rising from £77.75/MWh to £110.42/MWh.
• Since the 2021-23 energy crisis, Britain has increased its wind and solar capacity by 28%, adding 7.7 GW of wind and 7.6 GW of solar power. This expansion resulted in gas power generation being 39% lower in March 2026 than in March 2021.
• The additional renewable capacity avoided approximately £7 million per day in gas purchases during the first four weeks of the 2026 crisis. Between 28 February and 28 March 2026, wind and solar met 40% of electricity demand, while gas generation fell to 23%.
• Britain has a potential pipeline of 60 GW from over 750 wind and solar projects that have secured planning permission or begun construction since October 2021. Additionally, 45 GW of CfD-backed capacity is contracted for deployment across England, Scotland, and Wales by 2031.

APA

Murdoch, J., & Mayo, F. (2026). Clean power fortifies Britain against gas price shocks. Ember. https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2026/04/Clean-power-fortifies-Britain-against-gas-price-shocks-PDF-1.pdf

Chicago

Murdoch, Josie, and Frankie Mayo. Clean power fortifies Britain against gas price shocks. Ember, 2026. https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2026/04/Clean-power-fortifies-Britain-against-gas-price-shocks-PDF-1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Murdoch |first1=Josie |last2=Mayo |first2=Frankie |title=Clean power fortifies Britain against gas price shocks |publisher=Ember |date=9 April 2026 |url=https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2026/04/Clean-power-fortifies-Britain-against-gas-price-shocks-PDF-1.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{murdoch2026clean, author = {Murdoch, Josie and Mayo, Frankie}, title = {{Clean power fortifies Britain against gas price shocks}}, institution = {Ember}, year = {2026}, month = apr, url = {https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2026/04/Clean-power-fortifies-Britain-against-gas-price-shocks-PDF-1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }