It’s time for Britain to face the heat.

Adapting to this reality is complex. Britain’s infrastructure is built for drizzle not for drought, and it’s straining in the face of climate change. Some of our homes – built to be refuges from the cold - trap heat like ovens, while rail lines buckle and roads soften under the sun. 

Weather extremes also risk putting the energy sector under pressure. The recent European heatwave saw daily electricity demand in Europe surge by as much as 14 per cent, putting unprecedented stress on power grids. In France, it reduced electricity production in all but one of the country’s nuclear power stations, as cooling systems struggled with warmer river water. Back here in the UK, drought conditions caused energy production from hydroelectric power stations to drop by around 40 per cent.

While renewable energy infrastructure isn't immune to climate strain, there are silver linings; July 2025 marked the highest solar electricity production in European history, with output up a massive 22 per cent compared to the previous year, according to think tank Ember. This is proof that some renewable technologies can allow us to adapt to, or even harness, this new normal.

It’s crucial that our energy infrastructure is strengthened through new and existing strategies. This could include new cooling technologies and AI-driven maintenance programmes to help foresee and reduce system issues. 

It’s also pivotal that we have a robust energy mix; harnessing onshore and offshore wind, solar, and hydro alongside nuclear and gas with CCUS (carbon capture usage and storage) to help balance the grid, making it more resilient to both scorching summers and wetter, windier winters.

Policy has a vital role to play, too. Continued long-term support for investment in burgeoning clean technologies that will both reduce our impact on the environment and help make our energy infrastructure more adaptable and climate-resistant, will be paramount. 

But with anti-net zero Reform rising in the polls, a potentially different political landscape following the General Election in 2029 could make some renewable energy investors nervous about the UK. In times like these, the importance of maintaining trust between policymakers and investors, and between developers and communities, has never been greater. 

So as Britain heats up and our summers change, the way we power our lives needs to continue to change as well. We can’t get out of the kitchen, so we will have to learn to stand the heat.