An energy economist and former petroleum engineer argues that the UK's net zero plans understate how much oil and gas will still be needed. He points to UK statistics showing oil and gas provide about 74% of the country's energy, with electricity at 19%. On cold winter days, gas demand can be more than double the electricity system's peak, and sectors like aviation, steel, and petrochemicals cannot easily run on electrons. The article also cites a Potsdam Institute study that puts the share of European industry energy that can be electrified at about 50% once raw materials are included. The author uses the approved Jackdaw gas field to show that even government documents expect oil and gas to remain part of the mix for decades, with the UK still importing gas for the life of the field. COP 31's agenda, he notes, does not mention fossil fuels at all. For anyone following carbon markets or grid policy, the piece is a useful challenge to the assumption that electrification alone can replace fossil fuels. It does not offer solutions, but it clarifies the scale of the gap between political targets and physical constraints.
