UK Energy Shock: 94% Rise in Standing Charges Threatens Vertical Farms

Dr. Russell Sharp examines a warning from the UK Urban AgriTech group that a planned 94% increase in electricity network standing charges from April 2026 could dramatically raise operating costs for vertical farms and greenhouses, risking business failures, reduced domestic produce and higher food prices.

The episode explains how horticulture is excluded from the energy-intensive industries exemption, compares UK energy costs with EU competitors, and outlines how razor-thin margins make indoor growers particularly vulnerable; calling for urgent policy review and industry engagement.

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Leo Marcelis — Wageningen University & Research
Erik Runkle — Michigan State University
Neil Mattson — Cornell University
Bruce Bugbee — Utah State University
Roberto Lopez — Michigan State University
Chieri Kubota — Ohio State University
Youbin Zheng — University of Guelph
Toyoki Kozai — Chiba University
Genhua Niu — Texas A&M AgriLife Research
A.J. Both — Rutgers University

Peter van Weel — Wageningen University & Research
Eugene Jones — University of Arizona
Cary Mitchell — Purdue University
Klaus Stanghellini — Wageningen University & Research
Bert van Ruijven — Wageningen University & Research
Frank Kempkes — Wageningen University & Research
Ep Heuvelink — Wageningen University & Research
Silvia Pampuri — Wageningen University & Research
Simon Pearson — University of Lincoln
David Llewellyn — Harper Adams University

Paul Hadley — University of Reading
Jeremy Burdon — Harper Adams University
Mark Else — Cranfield University
Graham Wallace — James Hutton Institute
James Locke — USDA Agricultural Research Service
Dewayne Ingram — University of Kentucky
Michelle Jones — Ohio State University
Kevin Folta — University of Florida
Michele Montero — University of Almería
Juan Fernández — University of Almería

Kees van der Velden — Wageningen University & Research
Artemis Koukounaras — Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Giacomo Tosti — University of Bologna
Rita Maggini — University of Pisa
Paolo Sambo — University of Padua
Lorenzo Pardossi — University of Pisa
Alessandro Ferrante — University of Milan
Gabriele Costa — University of Bologna
Luigi De Bellis — University of Salento
Francesco Orsini — University of Bologna

Michael Struik — Wageningen University & Research
Andrew Neilson — University of Nottingham
Zhenhua He — University of Florida
Haijun Liu — Zhejiang University
Yuanhui Zhang — University of Illinois
Qingwu Guan — Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences
Xiuming Hao — Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Bob Hansen — Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Xiaohong Yang — Nanjing Agricultural University
Jianjun Chen — University of Florida

Pramod Pandey — University of Illinois
Arun Kumar — Indian Agricultural Research Institute
Sanjay Kumar — Indian Institute of Horticultural Research
Rajesh Kumar — Punjab Agricultural University
Hiroshi Shimizu — Kyoto University
Masaharu Kitano — Kyushu University
Yasushi Ishigami — University of Tokyo
Toshihiko Kozai — Chiba University
Keisuke Omasa — University of Tokyo
Hirokazu Takahashi — Tohoku University