Tuesday
Sep022014
by 
Bishop Hill
Bishop Hill Climate emergency
Sep 2, 2014 Energy: grid The urge to do something about the alleged threat of climate change finally seems to have brought us to the brink of a real emergency:
Emergency supplies of electricity are being sought by the National Grid for this winter because of the threat of shortages of output from the UK’s coal, gas and nuclear power stations.
National Grid said on Tuesday it was extending its search for additional sources of temporary supplies, blaming emergency shutdowns at two nuclear power stations operated by EDF of France and unexpected fires at two key coal-fired stations during recent months – Ironbridge in Shropshire and Ferrybridge in Yorkshire.
Is it time that MPs demanded a statement from Mr Davey? Or do they not actually care?
Reader Comments (62)
Sep 3, 2014 at 2:44 PM | Entropic man
You are right, we need a new word to cover renewables.
How about "useless"?
Sep 3, 2014 at 2:56 PM | Robin Guenier
I forgot to mention that even National Grid does not care either - remember this gem from March 2011 by Steve Holliday CEO NG?
Apparently he is still at the helm, at least in May 2014, as reported in the Grauniad.
Brownedoff: so I'd be wise to hang on to the genny?
Sep 3, 2014 at 4:07 PM Robin Guenier
By keeping the genny you face two problems:
(a) first, the revenue department of the local authority will come along and put your house into a higher tax band on the grounds that you have "improved" your dwelling, and then, a few days later,
(b) the 'elf 'n' safety jobsworths will turn up and say that your fuel storage for the genny and/or the noise it makes do not comply with regulations that they dreamed up on the way from the office and therefore the genny is to be subject to a European Arrest Warrant and taken away from you for the "safety" of the "community".
However, the new banding cannot be reversed as a result of the "improvement" being removed because you are clearly a "risk" to the "community" for harbouring thoughts of generating your own juice and therefore you will be punished.
Brownedoff: sounds plausible. There's obviously no point in getting rid of it as I'm sure all those penalties would be retrospective. Perhaps I should come clean and turn myself in now.
Suffolk North Sea wind farm affects fishermen's incomes:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-29050750
EM,
No one mentioned that coal and nuke are intermittent becuase everyone else is using the term in its proper context and is not trying to deceptively change the subject by confusing issues.
Wind produces on average < 25% of its rated capapcity and frequently much less (did you know windmills produce 0% when the wind stops?). Solar stops everytime the sun does not shine- unless you are in Spain during its 'renewable' boondoggle and could shine spotlights on your cells at night.
Hartlepool and Heysham off-line until the end of the year...
Never mind - Ed Davey's in charge - what could possibly go wrong..?
Apropos HS2...
Theory - businessmen zooming through the countryside at 225mph bringing wealth to the Midlands and the North...
Practice - not enough power for the trains, so a few grumpy individuals in coaches doing 60mph up the M1...
Let's see who's right, shall we..?
And now the 2015 news. After a winter of discontent, 97% of scientists blame powercuts on "climate deniers".
dontneedawetherman - '97% of scientists blame powercuts on "climate deniers"...'
Absolutely..! If it wasn't for them/us the UK could have built twice as many wind farms, which would have resulted in wind providing not 0.8% of demand, but 1.6% of demand..!
Problem solved..!
Hunter: wind power is worse than that. When there is no wind the turbines draw power from the grid to run lube pumps, local heating, etc.. The larger ones often have to be kept turning - slowly - to avoid mechanical damage, also drawing power from the grid.
So, on the frequent cold and still winter nights, our wonderful wind fleet is actually an additional load on the system.