Government accused of being in denial of energy cost crisis
By Paul Homewood
From NZW:
Net Zero Watch has branded the government’s energy security strategy an exercise in magical thinking and accused Boris Johnson of being in denial of the severity of the energy cost crisis.
Net Zero Watch director, Benny Peiser, said:
What the government has published today is essentially a wish list of things they want to do in the next 5-25 years – but which has absolutely zero effect on the energy cost and the cost of living crisis.
To make matters worse, most of the projects on their wish list will have to be subsidised by tens of billions of pounds, making energy bills even more expensive in years to come.”
Instead of easing the pain by cutting taxes and green levies on energy bills, which would have an immediate effect, the government is in denial of the dramatic cost crisis faced by millions of households.
Mr Johnson’s strategy, like Tony Blair’s before it, is an incoherent muddle of unrealistic targets and uncosted projects that helps nobody other than vested interests looking for multi-billion subsidies.
Anyone hoping for a practical, affordable and secure policy response to the energy cost crisis will be bitterly disappointed. Consumers have been let down in the short term, and the frankly absurd targets for more wind and solar set the stage for another wasted decade of failure and rocketing cost.
Comments are closed.
Que sera, sera
Whatever will be, will be
The future’s not ours to see
Que sera, sera
What will be, will be
We need a Conservative government : the low tax, free market, small govt type, rather than this ignorant, scientifically uneducated rabble of eco-nuts.
The imbeciles we have as MPs should just merge and stop pretending to be different. Perhaps a real party not infested with eco-terrorists and greens would then emerge.
The sooner that the great British public realise that there are no actual ‘conservatives’ running the Conservative & Unionist Party in the UK anymore, the better. Then they can consign these frauds to the dustbin of history.
On every single major policy issue the Tories have let their faithful supporters down. Energy policy is merely another catastrophic screw up in a long list. Brexit only limped across the line because of the Party’s fear of mass desertions amongst the supporter base, but the leadership has barely tried to champion the benefits of the opportunities presented since.
There is a vacuum appearing at the heart of British politics which may provide an opportunity for an inspirational figure to fill. Any ideas folks?
I am afraid that the only possible “hope” in terms of a party with anything like a coherent energy policy is the Reform party. Not perfect, but they are the only party outside the top three (arguably two) that understand the economic hardships coming our way and has any chance of securing significant votes.
Coal
Oil
Gas
Nuclear
Fracking, as it’s called
Deliver
Solar and wind are for crazy zealots
Prime Minister Johnson and his team appear to be ignorant, art graduate cowards. Good at speaking other people’s words but weak at thinking.
Give them some credit. It could have taken them a whole hour to write their wish list on the back of an envelope.
Spot on wheewiz. The major problem is Carrie Antionette whispering eco garbage in Johnson’s ear. He’s so besotted with her he listens to no-one else. It’s very embarrassing having a Prime Minister behaving like a teenager in his first flush of testosterone; oblivious to anything else in the world.
No it’s not. Every bit as much of a problem is the 80 Conservative (sic, it makes me) MPs who signed a declaration supporting Net Zero. You can add to that the others who support it but have the sense to keep schtumm.
—but:
“Better late than never”
is the comforting refrain,
as you get into the station
just in time to miss the train.
A disastrous policy that will have NO impact whatsoever on the current CoL crisis.
Kwarteng has spent weeks parroting ‘renewables are cheap, gas is expensive’ and ‘UK gas would take years to come online and won’t lower global gas prices’, yet refuses an obvious solution; UK government strikes a guaranteed supply contract with Cuadrilla at an agreed price, far below global spot market prices.
He then promptly announces a wind, solar and nuclear policy that itself will take years to reach the market!
These people are absolute imposters to our country.
PS I texted a family member (who advises KK on various matters) about this a few weeks ago. He’s fully paid-up to the Green Blob and all I got was a deafening silence.
He takes advice? Good Lord!
JF
Only advice that he wants to hear.
We have some very stupid people in charge, and advising them.
The most stupid is likely to be the blond haired, green eyed monster who is jealous of the Chancellor’s wife
The very first thing that Johnson and his fool, Kwarteng, should do is stop the nonsense that explains wind turbines as being able to supply ‘n’ thousand homes – based on their nameplate output. We need something like OfCom – ‘TruthCom’?? – that will force MPs to only talk in terms of what the average output can support.
In passing, I actually read a comment in the DT where someone actually said that all we need is nuclear and wind/solar to power GB. The ignorance hurts. But I can believe many MPs would agree with the commenter.
” In passing, I actually read a comment in the DT where someone actually said that all we need is nuclear and wind/solar to power GB. ”
Nuclear (with load-following) and pumped storage (for peak lopping) would probably work, but the construction cost would be substantial and the manufacturing + construction period would probably be 30+ years.
To be clear, Micky, (because I have a silly sense of humour, I wonder if the ‘R’ was for Rodent. 🙂 ) I was not agreeing with the comment. I thought it was illiterate.
Pumped storage has worked for a generation.
But the scope to increase pumped storage (or similar schemes, such as dropping weights to convert potential energy to kinetic energy) is like a very expensive rounding error.
The Uk does not have many (if any) new sites that can be used for pumped storage. Uk is lowland. you need lots of mountains (10000ft) to avail gravity. The uk does have a big tidal flow so damning the severn, thames, trent etc is an option. But the greens wont use this resource,
Micky R,
are there any large nuclear generators that can practically load follow? Isn’t this just another pipe dream?
Small reactors are claimed to so do but that is in the future and needs to be demonstrated before we can reduce gas generation.
Bobn,
Tidal generation is not controllable and is based on tide timings. If you are suggesting damming a section until it is needed it can only be of a very small amount of power due to physical constraints, one being the height, the second being the volume. It is a non starter.
If you want Peak management that is not gas, pumped storage seems to be the only solution that actually works. Expensive to build, but after that reasonably cheap. Now that really is an investment.
“> The Uk does not have many (if any) new sites that can be used for pumped storage. <"
The Lake District offers several sites for pumped storage, although the locals might complain and construction cost would be "a factor".
” are there any large nuclear generators that can practically load follow? Isn’t this just another pipe dream? ”
French nuclear power stations load-follow, a pdf: https://www.oecd-nea.org/upload/docs/application/pdf/2021-12/technical_and_economic_aspects_of_load_following_with_nuclear_power_plants.pdf
I posted a link a few days ago which included info on load-following for several different types of power generation. I’ll dig it up again.
Load-following for various types of power generation
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364032117309206
Table 2. “Flexibility characteristics of various power generation technologies.”
Coal is not much slower to ramp up from minimum load than CCGT, although start time from cold will be substantially more for coal.
If deaths from fuel poverty increase as a result of the incompetence of the various Glorious Leaders responsible for the current energy emergency then those Glorious Leaders need to face manslaughter charges.
Will the manslaughter charges for all the covid associated deaths be filed first?
” Will the manslaughter charges for all the covid associated deaths be filed first? ”
I doubt if manslaughter charges could stick for ALL Covid deaths, but there must be a few thousand certainties e.g. sending hospitalised Covid patients back into care homes. Unfortunately, the UK Establishment will defend the UK Establishment: “not in the public interest” .
And the findings of the public inquiry will be:
1. No individual was responsible for anything
2. It was a systemic failure
3. Lessons will be learned
If? That’s a feature, not a glitch.
The taxes on transport fuels were scandalous even before the recent actual rises in the cost of oil and are long overdue for drastically reducing ideally scrapping.
They couldn’t help COVID – that hit them out of the blue. But the late great Chris Booker was warning about power cuts 15 years ago, No excuses for this.
” They couldn’t help COVID – that hit them out of the blue. ”
Far from it, see Exercise Cygnus 2016. See also the dismantling of the Cabinet committee for pandemic preparedness six months before Covid arrived ( “threats, hazards, resilience and contingency committee” ) .
And Derek Birkett (a retired electrical engineer and grid controller) wrote the book “When will the Lights Go Out” about the implications of rushing into renewables. That was in 2011.
If you can find a copy I recommend it as worth reading.
O/T? From the depths of my memory I recall there was an interview with the Head of E.ON (an engineer as suited a German energy company) in which he discussed the ‘reliability’ of wind turbines and said that you could rely on 2% of installed capacity only at any one time.
Governments have failed since they were warned in 2005 to have a plan to deal with a SARS pandemic. So they have no excuse for failing to be prepared. Successive governments have botched the preparedness plan to such an extent that by the last edition all mention of SARS had been removed.
All the potential problems we would have in handling a viral pandemic, that were identified by Exercise Cygnus in 2016, were swept under the carpet by the DHSC Minister; one Jeremy Hunt MP and had to be dragged out by a FOI request 5 years later
The fanaticism of green politics and climate alarmism knows no bounds. Without a viable political party to oppose and MSM all on message when will the rank stupidity end?
Perhaps loss of political power at the next GE?
Or loss of electrical power due to government insistence on greencrap galore.
Let’s take a quick look at the War in The Ukraine for just one second here and ‘The Global Warming Lobby’. Behind ALL these oil and gas shortages you will find the Elitist Environmentalist Propaganda that has been gaining ever more ground over the last 30 years among Western countries. While ‘Doing the Right Thing’ is laudable philosophically, we have destroyed western productivity and internal supply chains and ‘Self-Reliance. In the midst of this war with Russia . . . our weakness is exposed, highlighted and crushing in it’s reality. Behind the scenes, China this morning, voted to keep Russia ON the ‘Human Rights Council’ . . . Remember this Vote!
The weakness of the west in providing it’s own supplies of Oil and Gas pales by comparison to the West’s reliance on China. Today China alone, processes 60% of Global Base Metals (it was 6%) . . . and all the pollution that goes with it – 25 Chinese Cities now account for 50% of Global CO2 – Out of site – Out of mind . . . The New World Order . . . 30 years since China evolved . . . Western Elitist self-flagellation in the name of Environmentalism – Maintains Total Global Pollution – While stripping the very life out of the Western Economies . . . With no end-gain . . . in Global terms . . . Environmentally. Total GLOBAL Pollution remains the same ! But we look sooo good . . . on paper . . . and . . . now, we can point fingers at others . . . Such Hypocrisy.
If China were to start a war somewhere . . . like Taiwan . . . The West can do NOTHING in any ‘reasonable’ timeline to meet our current demand for production currently supplied by China ! Remember this !
https://www.academia.edu/49676862/Social_Engineering_Environmentalism_and_Globalization_A_New_World_Order
May God Bless the poor embattled warriors for Freedom and Democracy in The Ukraine . . .
It is long past due that the West step in and fight tooth and nail in ANY way we can . . . Diplomacy is obviously Dead . . . As is Self-Reliance . . .
My Thoughts . . .
I totally agree. We are sleepwalking into third world status caused by economic suicide . The country who stand to gain most from our stupidity is China. Be aware that they are almost unique in the world having improved their standard of living consistently over the last 30 years while everyone else stagnates or deteriorates. Ref “Has China Won by Kishore Mahbubani” https://www.waterstones.com/book/9781541768147. They do this by ruthlessly implementing Chinese Communist Party (CCP) policies designed to further their goals at the expense of everyone else.
CCP members are chosen by their level of intellect. Mahbubani recalls congratulating a Chinese student on coming in second place in her City in her exams. The student replied that she should not be congratulated, as this was a disaster, as only the person who comes top in the city or region gets membership of the CCP. Compare this with our politicians who appear to be chosen as they are the only ones prepared to go through our process of party selection, towing the party line, getting on the gravy train, being influenced by lobbying groups paid by our competitors etc Ref “Why We Get The Wrong Politicians” by Isabel Hardman (https://www.waterstones.com/book/why-we-get-the-wrong-politicians/isabel-hardman/9781782399759.
The lobbying groups are promoting eliminating eg coal in the UK while China built 100 new coal fired power stations last year. Eliminating Fracking to reduce our energy security etc.
Meanwhile the CCP are laughing at our gullibilty.
Furthermore . . . China produces almost ALL the components that go into the ‘Green Energy’ solutions. Rare earth magnets in Mongolia . . . 800 lbs in every wind turbine Illegal to produce anywhere else in the world because of RADIATION in the tailings ponds. The silica made from processing quartz crystals for solar panels requires Soo much fossil fuels to produce that ONLY China is willing to make these components . . . Solar panels are only affordable because China builds them cheaply . . . They are NOT energy efficient to build ! For more read . . .
https://www.academia.edu/71023588/Batteries_Renewable_Energy_and_EV_s_The_Ultimate_in_Environmental_Destruction
https://www.academia.edu/73548362/Electric_Cars_Burn_31_More_Energy_than_Gas_Cars_Revised_
Brexit!! When did that happen?
(Northern Ireland resident)
Paul: Ambrose is at it again in tte DT: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2022/04/07/britain-could-europes-energy-powerhouse-ministers-really-deliver/
Indeed Harry, he’s away with the fairies again. Net Zero Watch regard the new energy strategy as an exercise in ‘magical thinking’. Ambrose sees Boris’ plans more like Aladdin riding his magic carpet to the rescue. All the rest of us can compare the current policy to is us being well and truly done over by Ali Baba and the forty thieves!
These people have already turned Britain into a banana republic
It’s not safe to invest in due to the way they run things.
We have
– Green Gangsters ..the green biz people who know green doesn’t work
– The Clueless Clowns : All the Islington politicians, Boris, Starmer, and the media
– Monks of the Truth, who are grounded in real world maths ..ie the skeptics
Sadly there are no many of them
Having said that a lot of the public do seem to be aware of the nature of those first two categories.
Well Mr. Green . . . I could not agree with you more. Everything about ‘Green Energy’, ‘Carbon Trading’, ‘Net Zero’ and the ‘Emissions Free’ status given to EV’s is a Big Fat Lie.
Scientifically False. Clinically impossible. Elitist Propaganda.
The Media broadcasts ALL of this daily as though it is ‘Scriptures’ form the ‘Holy Tablets’ while none of it adds up in science, math or common sense. For 30 years we have been bombarded by unsupportable, unverifiable myths surrounding ‘The Greenhouse Effect’ of Carbon. It is an unstoppable train that has overtaken every walk of life . . . All of us who disagree are ‘Deniers’ and outcast from public debate like the ‘Devil’s Children’. No voice counter to the accepted Narrative may be heard, for they are the ‘Evil Ones’ intent on destroying civilization and Planet Earth.
By example I have sent the following paper to over 300 Journalists and Editorialists and conservative Politicians over the last 3 weeks . . . so far . . . NOT ONE question, not one response, not one enquiry as to it’s contents. The ‘Green Gangsters’ own The ‘Clueless Clowns’ of government and The ‘Monks of Truth’ in the Media . . . Screw Science . . . Screw Common Sense and Screw Nature . . . We got The Big Green Propaganda Machine to lead the way . . . ALL others shall perish in purgatory !!
https://www.academia.edu/74915195/Electric_Cars_The_Lies_Exposed_
Keep up the fight ! someone will find and uncover that evidence of willful collusion and and intentional misinformation that will render the Lies of environmentalists . . . NULL . . .
Spot on. It’s Marxism by stealth, delivered by fifth columnists. Like the emperors new clothes our grandchildren will laugh at us.
Jim I’m saying there are 2 categories on the fake Green side
and then 2 on the outside
We have
#1 Green Gangsters
..the green biz people who know green doesn’t work
#2 The Clueless Clowns
: All the Islington politicians, Boris, Starmer, the media
#3 The public cottoning on to who ‘#1 and #2 are
#4 some are becoming Monks of the Truth,
skeptics who are grounded in real world maths
Yes category #2 are influenced in some way by Marxism
whether they know or not
#5 might be the SWP who hijack causes for their anti-capitalist end game
There was an article on the BBC news site yesterday on the government’s energy policy with comments thread.
I posted several comments about the true cost of “ruinables” – funny! no article there today!!!!
What is happening is that Europe instead of depending on Russian oil and gas, will be dependent on US oil and gas. Renewables are a side show in this political power play.
Boris has no idea what to do as he demolished all the power stations,
If taxpayers have to tighten their belts why doesn’t government? Why not cut taxes on gas and petrol and cut government spending?
How difficult is he following to understand?
UK Total Energy Consumption by source 2020. (Covid lockdown year with supressed demand and renewables with preferential access to the grid inflating their position) Figures in Tera-Joules.
Natural Gas 2,671,347 TJ 41.18% of total.
Oil 2,067,177 TJ 31.18%
Biomass 637,211 TJ 9.82%
Nuclear 548, 491 TJ 8.45%
Wind+ Solar 320,588 TJ 4.94%
Coal 218,754 TJ 3.37%
Hydro 23,324 TJ 0.36%
Total 6,486,890 TJ 100%
For those who prefer a graphic try here
https://www.iea.org/countries/united-kingdom
The increased energy demand of 2021 (official figures not yet released) will show a reduction in both percentage terms and actual output of wind + Solar.
So with all but 5.3% of UK energy consumption coming from combustion or nuclear, and in a country with bountiful supplies of oil, gas ,coal and even hundreds of years worth of only partially used nuclear fuel, why on earth would you opt for wind and solar?
Even PPE graduate MPs must be able to see this so what really is their motivation? Answers in a brown paper envelope around the back of the lavvies please!.
What we are up against was the ultimate nonsense shown on last night’s Question Time. My blood boiled!
Perhaps Boris and his comrades should ask for an estimation of the number of deaths of the poor old and cold this year,from the so called Climate Change Committee..
That might concentrate a few minds.Strutting around in a yellow jacket and white hat does not do a thing,except churn my stomach.
Is there an opportunity for a crowd funded legal case to be brought against the government for acting in a way that is harmful to the population? ECHR? Would this be a way to force an honest debate with the ability call genuine experts to impartially outline the challenges needing to be addressed in eliminating fossil fuels. A systematic dissection, informed by demand, generation options and characteristics, distribution network implications, business and domestic adaptation dependencies. Raising awareness in the wider population and having evidence based whole system costs and impacts surfaced would hopefully wake people up. The government plan is not workable, comes at vast cost and will require demand management whether via load shedding or variable tariffs with punitive peak rates, probably both.
This is a reply, after a very long wait, from my MP:
Thank you for contacting me about the UK’s energy policy and fracking.
I understand that the Government’s decision to halt fracking considered the most recent evidence on the matter. Ministers have maintained that fracking should only proceed if the science shows that it is safe, sustainable and minimises disturbances to local communities.
In 2019 from the Oil & Gas Authority, an independent regulator, found that it was not possible to accurately predict the probability or magnitude of earthquakes linked to fracking. As a result, the Government immediately announced a moratorium on fracking in England. This position will be maintained unless compelling new evidence is provided which addresses the concerns around the prediction and management of induced seismicity.
As you will be aware the wholesale price of gas and energy has increased in the UK and Europe due to various factors, including an increase in demand as economies across the globe reopened after lockdowns. In light of Russia’s unjustified invasion of Ukraine, which has also contributed to further global gas price rises, the Prime Minister has been clear that it’s right we move away from dependence on Russian gas and and increase self-reliance with our energy sources.
The Government is considering all options; it has always been clear that it will be open to shale gas exploration if it can be done in a safe and sustainable way. Therefore I welcome that the Government has commissioned the British Geological Survey to advise on the latest scientific evidence around shale gas extraction. This request has been made to simply assess if any progress has been made in the scientific understanding of fracking. I want to be clear the moratorium will remain unless the latest scientific evidence demonstrates that shale gas extraction is safe, sustainable and of minimal disturbance to communities. In addition, I am reassured by my ministerial colleagues that any exploration or development of shale gas would need to meet rigorous safety and environmental protections both above ground and sub-surface.
As you may be aware, Cuadrilla’s Preston New Road wells and Elswick well were due to close in June this year. However, after careful consideration and taking into account recent global developments, the North Sea Transition Authority has approved Cuadrilla’s application to keep these wells open. Cuadrilla will have until June 2023 to consider options for the wells and if no credible re-use plans are in place by this time, the wells be required to be decommissioned.
Further, I am glad that the Prime Minister has now published the Energy Supply Strategy, which outlines how cleaner and more affordable energy will be made in Great Britain to boost our long-term energy independence, security and prosperity. The Strategy sets out how the Government will accelerate the deployment of wind, new nuclear, solar and hydrogen, whilst supporting the production of domestic oil and gas from the North Sea in the nearer term which could see 95 per cent of electricity by 2030 being low carbon.
Renewable energy is cheaper than gas and therefore in my view the long-term solution is to move in that direction. I welcome that the UK renewable capacity is up 500 per cent since 2010. However, the Government recognises that more must be done, and so is accelerating renewables with annual Contract for Difference auctions. I want to be clear that the more cheap, clean power we generate in the UK, the less exposed we will be to global gas markets.
I hope this response has contained some useful information on this important subject.
Kind regards,
Luke Mander
on behalf of
Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown F.R.I.C.S. M.P.
Member of Parliament for The Cotswolds
Excuse Me but I think I am going to be sick . . .
Lots of weasel words from Clifton-Brown. The recent catastrophic increase in domestic energy costs and the forecast continued increases undermines any claims to competent management by the current government and previous governments for the last 40+ years.
Burn coal.