Why Britain’s Energy Future May Need Public Ownership, Says New Historian
Arthur Downing’s new book argues that Britain’s current energy mix stems from past state-run projects and that a revamped public-ownership model could fix today’s costly, fragmented system.
In Power and the People, Arthur Downing maps two centuries of British energy development, showing how early municipal and later nationalised utilities delivered rapid infrastructure growth. He argues that the 1979-2010 privatisation era left a “zombie” system that is privately owned yet dependent on state subsidies, resulting in high consumer costs and fragmented regulation. The book highlights recent foreign-state involvement, noting Engie’s acquisition of UK Power Networks and the accompanying rise in French bond yields and stock value.
Downing suggests shifting policy focus from producers to citizens, removing levies from bills, and adopting a mutualised ownership model that blends public control of natural monopolies with market competition in generation, retail, and new technologies. He cites examples from the Nordics and China to show that public ownership and markets can coexist. The proposal calls for local councils, community schemes and households to hold stakes in energy assets, turning consumers into owners and fostering a more resilient transition.
Why it matters
Understanding ownership models helps explain Britain’s high energy costs and points to reforms that could lower bills and speed decarbonisation.
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