Fossil shortcuts, long-term risks and building real energy security

Authored by Helen Motwani, Head of Heat & Biomass

Faced with geopolitical instability, the volatile fossil fuel market and rising energy demand, policymakers are increasingly framing the clean energy transition as a trade-off: security versus decarbonisation.

On top of this regressive framing, knee-jerk calls to expand the North Sea oil and gas production are often presented as pragmatic responses to immediate pressures. In reality this does little to shield consumers from global price volatility and even less to build a genuinely secure energy system. Now is the time to redouble efforts to support a progressive and resilient energy system through a mix of wind, solar, backed up bioenergy in the form of biomass power and anaerobic digestion producing the low carbon gas, biomethane.

Geopolitical headwinds aside, balancing energy supply and demand is becoming more complex, with the electrification of heat and transport as well as whirlwind growth of data centres and AI-driven infrastructure increasing demand to the grid. In this context, a stable system needs a mix of complementary sources of renewable power. Wind and solar will remain the backbone of decarbonisation, while storage and other flexibility technologies will play an increasingly important role in balancing supply and demand, but we also need bioenergy to balance the mix.

Adding more bioenergy to the mix means dispatchable power: energy that can be supplied when it is needed, regardless of whether the wind blows or the sun shines. Bioenergy helps to stabilise the grid and reduce reliance on gas-fired generation. Today, biomass power already provides the UK with around 5.5GW of reliable capacity or 12% of all energy consumed in the UK. Independent analysis suggests that retaining this capacity could significantly reduce overall system costs, including lowering the need for investment in additional backup generation.

Bioenergy is not a single technology – it is versatile and encompasses a range of technologies, from large-scale biomass power generation to smaller, decentralised systems. One of these systems is anaerobic digestion, which converts organic matter, including agricultural and industrial waste, into biogas, which can then be upgraded to biomethane. This low-carbon gas can be injected directly into the existing gas grid to replace natural gas, providing a practical and affordable contribution to decarbonisation that utilises our existing infrastructure. This circular use of organic resources strengthens domestic energy resilience while also providing fossil fuel free fertilisers as a by-product.

A key USP for bioenergy is that it supports sectors that are very difficult to electrify, including heavy industry and transport, particularly aviation. It also has a critical role in meeting long-term climate goals with the Climate Change Committee projecting that by A key USP for bioenergy is that it supports sectors that are very difficult to electrify, including heavy industry and transport, particularly aviation. It also has a critical role in meeting long-term climate goals with the Climate Change Committee projecting that by 2040 around 80% of engineered carbon removals will come from combining bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS).

Of course, bioenergy is not without its challenges. Questions around sustainability, land use, and supply chains are legitimate and must be addressed transparently. The credibility of the sector depends on robust standards, strong governance, and clear accountability. The development of a revised, cross cutting coherent sustainability framework currently underway will be essential in ensuring that biomass continues to deliver genuine climate benefits.

While critical, these parameters should not obscure the system value that bioenergy provides. Nor should they lead to simplistic assumptions about risk. Imported biomass, is increasingly criticised through the lens of energy security. Yet in practice, imported biomass, which supplies over a third of UK bioenergy demand, is typically sourced through long-term contracts, often spanning 10 to 20 years, and has historically offered more stable pricing than fossil fuels. Supply chains are diversified and based on renewable feedstocks, in contrast to the concentrated and geopolitically exposed nature of international gas markets. This reframes the question of how energy security should be defined. It cannot be reduced to a narrow focus on domestic production alone; rather, it must incorporate system reliability, supply diversity, and exposure to price volatility. By this standard, fossil fuel dependent systems are inherently less secure than those based on a diverse mix of low-carbon sources.

In the next phase of the energy transition, policymakers must strategically coordinate generation, storage, flexibility, and demand. This means avoiding familiar but flawed solutions – expanding fossil fuel production may appear to offer a shortcut to security, but it risks locking in the very vulnerabilities the transition is meant to resolve. The UK need not choose between reliability and decarbonisation; the focus should be on building a resilient, low-carbon energy system for the future.

About Helen Motwani: Helen Motwani heads the Heat and Biomass pillar at the REA, driving the organisation’s mission to accelerate renewable heat and biomass technologies and help members navigate complex policy and regulatory environments. Leading a team of advisors and member forums covering biomass power and heat, energy-from-waste, green gas, and geothermal, she represents these sector groups with civil servants, ministers, MPs, and regulators, shaping policy through detailed analysis and evidence to influence key government decisions across heat, power, and transport. With over a decade of senior leadership in international development and climate policy, Helen brings extensive expertise in advocacy, strategy, coalition building, and engaging regulators. Passionate about systemic change and sustainable solutions, she leads the REA’s efforts to strengthen partnerships with industry, government, and voices across the climate and energy sector to drive meaningful progress toward the UK’s Net Zero transition.