Green industrialist Dale Vince, founder of Ecotricity, has condemned recent calls by the fossil fuel lobby to expand drilling in the North Sea as a response to rising energy prices, describing the approach as “absurd” and ineffective.
Speaking out as a Labour donor and long-term advocate for renewable energy, Vince warned that additional drilling would not alleviate the current energy crisis, due to both the time required to bring new production online and the realities of global energy markets.
“The idea that the answer to this latest oil price shock is to open the North Sea for more drilling is absurd,” said Vince. “Firstly, we’re looking at around five years before anything new can be produced – it’s not a tap we can just turn on. And secondly, and most vitally, global markets set the price of our North Sea oil and gas, not us. When price shocks hit, they hit our North Sea the same as imported supplies from the rest of the world. Unless we change that by price-fixing our own oil and gas, then nothing changes.
“People calling for more drilling as an answer to this or any future energy crisis are deluded (or simply self-interested) – they’re suggesting a non-solution that lands in five years’ time. No amount of extra North Sea production can save us a single penny – and that’s a fact.”
Vince also criticised attempts by fossil fuel interests to exploit international crises for commercial gain. “The Labour government needs to hold firm on its manifesto commitments. The fossil fuel lobby is exploiting this illegal Israeli–US war to push the same old self-interested agenda. There’s a reason why global oil share prices are at record levels right now – price shocks are good business for oil producers and bad for the rest of us.
“We can’t solve an oil crisis by pouring more oil on the fire. The answer is to break our dependence on oil, once and for all.”
Highlighting the long-term solution to energy security and affordability, Vince urged the Labour Party and policymakers to continue supporting renewable energy infrastructure and sustainable technologies. “We need a decisive shift away from fossil fuels, not a temporary fix that satisfies industry interests. Investment in wind, solar, and other renewable energy sources will strengthen our energy independence and shield consumers from volatile global markets,” he added.
Vince has long been a proponent of clean energy and green innovation in the UK, and his comments reinforce his position that energy policy should prioritise sustainability, affordability, and long-term security over short-term profit-driven measures.
