Power and the People

“Few things rile ordinary Britons as much as inflated energy prices. Yet few issues attract as much misinformed commentary from across the board. Deftly weaving together the economics, technology and politics of energy provision, Arthur Downing – a unique mix of industry insider, academic and activist – is ideally positioned to explain how Britain got into its current energy mess and how it might get out.”
—Brett Christophers, author of The Price is Wrong

“A timely and incisive exploration of ownership, power, and politics in the UK energy system. Downing masterfully traces the history of Britain’s energy infrastructure, showing that the current expensive, inefficient, and unsustainable system is the result of political choices – choices that could be made differently. Read this if you want to understand the past, present, and potential futures of UK energy – and how we can build a system that works for people and planet, not profit.”
—Grace Blakeley, author of Vulture Capitalism

“This brilliant book shows what needs to be understood about the past, present, and future of British electricity if there is to be successful decarbonisation. It requires not just a rejection of free market fantasies, but of the unworkable system of subsidies which generates returns for investors rather than cheap renewable electricity for the people. A must-read for anyone interested in the new politics and expertise a post-carbon world will need”
—David Edgerton, author of The Rise and Fall of the British Nation

“Has privatisation done better than the nationalised industries it replaced? That’s Downing’s key question and when it comes to investment and prices, his answer is a damning no. A must-read for anyone who cares about the future of British energy and climate change and a devastating critique of the privatised electricity industry.”
—Sir Dieter Helm, Professor of Economic Policy, University of Oxford

“Life in Britain depends on nationwide energy grids built and run efficiently by governments of both parties. Privatisation broke them up. Bosses and bankers cashed in but the system could not cope. Writing brilliantly from within, Downing shows how a patched-up network of Kafkaesque complexity can still be restored”
—Avner Offer, Professor Emeritus of Economic History, University of Oxford

“A sweeping, urgent and brilliantly argued history of the rise and fall of the British entrepreneurial state. Written by an insider from the energy industry, it combines frontline experience with deep historical research to deliver a rare account of how power really works behind the scenes of Britain’s energy system. From the breathtaking construction of the supergrid and the nationalised energy revolution of the post-war decades to the failures of today’s “zombie privatisation”, the book shows that the climate crisis is not simply a technological challenge, but also a question of ownership, institutions and democratic power. Rich with historical insight and fearless in its conclusions, Power and the People demolishes the myth that “there is no alternative” and offers a powerful vision of how the state and citizens can once again build at the scale the future demands.”
—Jean Baptiste Fressoz, author of More and More and More