Running Out of Gas?

Right-wing UK newspapers bizzarely claim the opposition's plan for zero carbon electricity generation, by 2030, will require more gas. They also seem 'hung up' on the apparent logic of the question "How do we keep the lights on, when the wind doesn't blow and the sun fails to shine?" Simon Evans analyses the opposition's proposal in some detail (https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/sep/28/will-labours-energy-plans-work). Evans points out that, in 2021, the UK used 254 terawatt hours (TWh) of gas, to generate 123 TWh of electricity. Burning gas to generate electricity, is energy wasteful. It also, of course, releases 'greenhouse gases'. This process generated 40% of the UK's required electricity. Evans notes that the UK's low carbon (basically nuclear, solar and wind power) electricity generation, saves huge amounts of gas. In 2022 up to the present, nuclear/renewables generated 129 TWh of electricity. This is more than the 95 TWh, obtained by burning gas in power stations. The opposition's plan is for 70% of electricity to be produced by wind and solar, by 2030. Almost all the remaining 30%, would come from new nuclear plants, other renewables (tidal power?) and 'green' hydrogen. By that year, the plan requires only 0.7% of annual electricity to involve burning gas (and some of that could be done in plants fitted with carbon capture and storage). It's worth adding, that developments in electricity storage, may negate even this modest requirement. Storage could deal with the 'when the wind doesn't blow and the sun doesn't shine' argument. Evans concludes that the opposition's plan is ambitious (depending when and if, it can start) but is broadly achievable. He bluntly dismisses the 'bonkers' claim that more gas will be required, if the scheme (or something like it), is put in place. Perhaps the recent rocketing cost of gas, has actually done us a favour? All countries should be attempting to switch to using real renewables. Burning wood or producing plant-generated 'fuels' for cars and planes, don't qualify. Perhaps gas, when it was cheap, simply slowed a necessary transition to limit the worst impacts of climate change?