The Energy Revolution Thatcher, Blair and Beyond: 40 years of energy policy with Jim Watson (UCL)
Oct 21, 2025
Jim Watson, a Professor of Energy Policy at UCL, dives into the evolution of energy systems over the past 40 years. He discusses the rapid dash for gas in the 1990s, driven by economic and political factors, and contrasts it with France's nuclear strategy. Watson explores the crucial role of policy in innovation, the impact of global forces like China's supply chains, and the need for just transition mechanisms in shifting energy landscapes. His insights reveal a blend of past lessons and future optimism around renewable energy innovations.
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Public Funding Underpinned Dash For Gas
- Jim Watson found the UK dash for gas had significant public-sector roots, not purely private-sector innovation.
- This shows government roles and earlier public investments often underpin major technological shifts.
How Rapid Private Investment Changed The Grid
- Watson describes the rapid private-sector build-out of gas plants after liberalisation in the 1980s–90s.
- That investment displaced coal and reshaped jobs and regional economies.
Multiple Forces Drove Coal's Decline
- Economics, politics and labour relations combined to drive the coal-to-gas shift in the UK.
- Faster, cheaper gas plants and a political aim to reduce union power made the switch attractive.