Why the UK Needs a Grid-First SMR Strategy

The political class has learned nothing. After nearly two decades of spiralling energy costs, grid chaos, and Net Zero ideology driving bad decisions, both major parties are still offering Britain fantasy energy strategies.

Ambrose Evans-Pritchard laid it out bluntly in The Telegraph this week: gas turbines are scarce, expensive, and delayed. Wind and solar look cheap on paper but balloon in cost once you factor in the real-world system they need to function. Meanwhile, the UK faces a winter demand curve that neither intermittent renewables nor imported LNG can reliably meet.

It’s time to stop pretending — and start building an energy system grounded in reality, not ideology.

⚡ The Gas Gamble Has Already Failed

For years, politicians have clung to the idea that gas is the “backup plan” for Britain’s unreliable grid. But that backup is rapidly vanishing:

The global waiting list for heavy-duty gas turbines now stretches 7 to 8 years, with manufacturers charging millions just to reserve a production slot.

Capital costs have tripled since 2022, rising from $785/kW to over $2,400/kW, with projections hitting $4,000/kW by the end of the decade.

The supply chain is controlled by just three companies — Siemens Energy, GE Vernova, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries — all cautious about boom-and-bust expansion.


Even if the UK increased extraction from the North Sea (a politically convenient but geologically limited fantasy), the real choke point is the hardware needed to generate power. You can’t import a gas turbine that doesn’t exist.

The Conservative plan to “just build more gas plants” is as unserious as Labour’s race to 2030 renewables. Both ignore engineering reality.

🌬️ Renewables Without a Grid Are a Mirage

Ministers love to quote the headline cost of wind and solar, often claiming they’re cheaper than gas. But this is classic cherry-picking. The true system cost is far higher:

Intermittent generation requires expensive grid upgrades, backup, and storage.

Gas isn’t £55/MWh when fully costed — it’s closer to £120–145/MWh when capital and carbon are included.

Similarly, wind and solar are only cheap when you ignore the cost of integrating them into a 24/7 demand system.


Once renewable penetration reaches 85–90%, costs explode as the system strains to deliver stability without firm baseload generation.

☀️ Solar Sprawl Makes the Problem Worse

The UK’s peak demand comes in winter evenings, but solar output peaks in summer daylight. Covering thousands of acres of prime farmland with panels:

Creates massive summer surpluses the grid can’t absorb.

Contributes almost nothing in the dark, cold months when demand is highest.

Requires expensive grid reinforcement that drives up bills without increasing winter security.


This isn’t “green” — it’s a structural mismatch between supply and demand.

🧱 The SMR + Rooftop Solar Alternative

The UK doesn’t need to choose between Net Zero utopianism and fossil nostalgia. There is a third path:

Rolls-Royce SMR and other Small Modular Reactors offer reliable 24/7 baseload power, a tiny land footprint, and domestic manufacturing potential.

Rooftop or building-integrated PV film from innovators like Power Roll can decentralise generation, using already-built surfaces rather than paving over the countryside.

This reduces the need for massive transmission upgrades, cuts dependence on foreign suppliers, and strengthens energy sovereignty.


A grid-first SMR strategy would stabilise the system, drive down bills, and protect the landscape — all while allowing gradual decarbonisation at a pace the grid can actually handle.

🌍 Carbon Border Tax Reality

Some Tories are floating the idea of suspending the UK’s carbon price to make gas cheaper. That’s wishful thinking. Doing so would expose British manufacturers to EU carbon border tariffs, adding cost, red tape, and trade friction.

Energy strategy cannot be built on populist slogans that ignore international realities. It must be grounded in engineering, economics, and sovereignty.

🧭 A Path That Works

1. Stabilise the grid first — build dispatchable, domestic power using SMRs.


2. End solar sprawl — shift to rooftop and industrial PV film rather than farmland megaprojects.


3. Rationalise renewables — integrate them where they work, not where ideology dictates.


4. Cut costs at the source — stop piling green levies onto electricity bills.


5. Protect trade — align carbon policy with border realities, not slogans.

Britain’s energy system has been captured by ideology for too long. Wind, solar, and gas each have roles to play, but none can sustain the grid alone. The only serious, sovereign solution is a reliable nuclear backbone supported by intelligent, distributed generation.

It’s time to stop the political theatre — and start building a real energy system.

Author’s Note: This blog post draws on reporting by Ambrose Evans-Pritchard in The Telegraph (24 October 2025) and current market data on global turbine supply chains, system integration costs, and UK grid realities.