Renewable energy is working and saved us from a disaster last year - Yorkshire Post Letters

It’s starting to work. The UK produced more of its electricity from clean energy last year than from fossil fuels. Renewables saved us from potential disaster given gas shortages and escalating costs.

The growth in clean energy across Europe is putting downward pressure on gas prices as its CO2 emissions fall back to 1960s levels. Australia is also seeing electricity wholesale prices drop for the same reasons.

We have new electricity cables connecting us to Denmark allowing us to export excesses and import energy when it's needed. National Grid data shows that it’s cheaper to import clean energy from Europe than use our own gas power stations.

Even China is starting to turn a corner. It’s investing far more in renewables than coal and putting its coal generation on standby more often as a result. Its use of coal is predicted to start to decline next year, thank goodness.

Finally, look at Texas. Who would think that this oil state, dominated by right-wing politics, would be a US leader in solar energy? Well it is.

Much of this is down to price advantages due to rapid technical development, accumulated engineering knowhow and economies of scale in the clean energy sector. Countries able to invest are doing so and there are still many gains to be made.

All this is good news, but politics, vested interests and our inherent resistance to change are making this much slower than it needs to be.

The UK was doing well, but now we’ve applied the brakes for no good reason. It’s time to get the benefits of the inevitable clean energy revolution and stop investing in the past.