In this IEA Podcast, Andy Mayer, COO and Energy Analyst, interviews Matt Ridley, former businessman, conservative peer, and author of books including "The Rational Optimist" and "How Many Light Bulbs Does It Take to Change the World." They discuss the recent power grid failure in Spain and Portugal, exploring how increasing reliance on intermittent energy sources like wind and solar may contribute to grid instability. Ridley explains the technical challenges of maintaining grid frequency when traditional "spinning" power generation is replaced by renewable sources.

The conversation shifts to Britain's energy policy and high electricity costs, which Ridley claims are now the highest in the developed world for both industrial and domestic users. They examine nuclear power's potential role in energy security and the regulatory barriers that have made nuclear plants increasingly expensive and time-consuming to build. Ridley advocates for small modular reactors that could be manufactured at scale rather than the current approach of building nuclear plants as "one-off" projects.

Ridley also discusses his theories on innovation and evolution, drawing parallels between biological evolution and technological development. He argues that innovation flourishes in environments with regulatory freedom, faster decision-making, and "permissionless" systems that allow ideas to develop from the bottom up rather than through top-down government planning. Despite his criticisms of current UK energy policy, Ridley maintains his identity as a "rational optimist" about global technological development and human progress, while lamenting the lost opportunities from what he sees as misguided energy transition strategies.

The Institute of Economic Affairs is an educational charity, it does not endorse or give support for any political party in the UK or elsewhere. Our mission is to improve understanding of the fundamental institutions of a free society by analysing and expounding the role of markets in solving economic and social problems.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit insider.iea.org.uk/subscribe