Renewable energy will boost national security and protect UK from sabotage, minister says

Military experts have also called for investments in wind farms and solar panels to bolster the UK’s national security. Photograph: Alan Majchrowicz/Getty ImagesView image in fullscreenMilitary experts have also called for investments in wind farms and solar panels to bolster the UK’s national security. Photograph: Alan Majchrowicz/Getty ImagesRenewable energyRenewable energy will boost national security and protect UK from sabotage, minister saysWidely dispersed wind farms and solar panels are harder to target than fossil fuel power stations, Michael Shanks saysFiona Harvey Environment editorSun 26 Apr 2026 19.01 EDTLast modified on Sun 26 Apr 2026 19.02 EDTSharePrefer the Guardian on GoogleRenewable energy will boost the UK’s national security and make the country more resilient against potential aggression or sabotage, the government’s energy minister has said.Michael Shanks said widely dispersed wind farms and solar panels were much harder to target than large-scale fossil fuel power stations. They are also not vulnerable to supply shocks, such as the current oil crisis caused by the US-Israel war on Iran and the soaring gas prices that followed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.“We are dealing with a far more complex threat landscape than we’ve ever dealt with before. That’s true in the UK, it’s true across Europe,” Shanks said. “Building a decentralised power system with a whole series of assets is less of a risk of physical attack than large-scale power stations. Moving towards clean power is the best way to deliver our energy security in an increasingly uncertain world.”The Conservatives and Reform UK have pushed for more drilling in the North Sea, rather than renewables. But those arguments received a heavy blow last week when the Guardian revealed that Fatih Birol, the executive director of the International Energy Agency and the world’s leading energy economist, advised against new exploration licences on a commercial basis and said potential new fields already within the licensing system, such as Rosebank and Jackdaw, would make little difference to the UK’s energy security or energy prices.Military experts have also called for investment in wind farms and solar panels to bolster the UK’s national security against potential aggression or sabotage. Several former military chiefs have written to governments to urge them to pursue renewables. Retired Lt Gen Richard Nugee has previously said investing in renewable energy would make the UK more resilient. “To have a strong military deterrence, we need a resilient homeland. If we want to build a resilient country, low-carbon energy is a very important component,” he said.Shanks was speaking from Ukraine, where over the weekend he visited energy projects that the UK helped to fund. “It’s a really important visit for me to see firsthand the impact that Russia’s attacks on energy infrastructure have had and are having in Ukraine, and meet those who are helping to rebuild that infrastructure and build even greater resilience into the Ukrainian energy system,” he said.View image in fullscreenMichael Shanks (third from right) at a thermal power plant in the Kyiv region. He said clean energy is the best way to deliver energy security. Photograph: Dept of Energy Security & Net Zero“We can learn a huge amount in the UK from what Ukraine is doing. They are building decarbonised infrastructure across the country because solar and wind and batteries are much harder to target than large…

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