UK has to maintain two power grids capable of supplying its needs – one for renewables – and the 100% back up grid AND IMPORTS equired when it doesn’t
From Brave AI:
“The UK’s power grid operator, National Energy System Operator (NESO), issued a warning on January 8, 2025, to encourage electricity providers to increase output and avert the risk of blackouts due to high demand and low wind power generation. As of January 9, 2025, it was reported that the UK came “within a whisker of blackouts” on January 8, with the grid operators scrambling to keep the lights on amidst plunging temperatures and tight supplies. The situation was managed through the use of routine tools and paying high prices to gas-fired power stations to generate additional power.”
NESO is the “qango” hat was formed by the borrowing of taxpayer funds to purchase the grid assets of National Grid plc for £630 million pounds om Friday 13th September 2024 – an inauspicious day just fur months ago that has already seen this risk emerge.
“On January 8, 2025, NESO issued an alert to increase system margins due to a lack of spare capacity in the grid from 4pm to 7pm, seeking 1,200 megawatts (MW) of power.
The actual demand on January 8 was 46.8 GW, exceeding NESO’s predicted maximum demand of 44.4 GW, and the grid operators had to resort to paying gas-fired power stations high prices to keep the lights on.
Two power stations, Rye House and Connah’s Quay, were paid a combined £12m to supply just three hours of electricity during the evening peak.
The situation was described by independent energy consultant Kathryn Porter as the UK coming “within a whisker of blackouts” on January 8, with the grid coming within 580 MW of demand control or a blackout.
The UK’s energy strategy is a complete mess. It has taken less than four months for a brand-new government owned and operated qango to create a power crisis.
Check this out from Q2 2024:
Britain imports one fifth of its electricity | Q2 2024 Quarterly Report | Electric Insights
“Electricity imports have reached record levels, with 19.8% of demand met by overseas sources over the three months to June. For the first time ever, more than a tenth of electricity came from France alone, and the cost of imported electricity rose to over £250 million per month. Overall, Britain imported 12.2 TWh last quarter, more than the country’s nuclear output (10.7 TWh), and close to total production from fossil fuels (13.6 TWh). In comparison, exports were just 3 TWh.
Not only does the UK have to import electricity from France, now that exploration of the North Sea has been banned (another genius move by the Marxist Labour government) it has to import oil and gas from Norway.
Such is the hypocritical virtue signalling of the “woke”, lunatic Marxists.
It doesn’t’ stop three.
There are plans afoot to consolidate all the 600 or so local authority pension funds (which suck up 40% of the entire budgets of local council budgets) into one big pension fund “pot” and direct that pot to invest in renewable projects – that will go bust in a few years – because no-one else will invest in the ridiculous renewable energy projects!!!
How else can Marxists archive their goal of high inflation, the bankrupting of the nation, mass unemployment and poverty!
All whilst households have to pay FIV times the cost of hydrocarbon energy such as natural gas.
Revolution required!
Also check UT this week’s Energy Newsbeat podcast here:
Wind Blows - Is Bruce Willis right?
Stick around for the dog doing ALL the laundry and housework towards the end.
“You can't beat a great movie line, and Bruce Willis has some of the best. Like "Welcome to the Party Pal" or "Skys Blue, Waters Wet, and Wind Blows." –
But does the wind always blow when it is really needed for electricity? We are seeing across the globe that intermittent energy means just that.
You won't want to miss this week's Energy Realities podcast with Tammy Nemeth, Irina Slav, David Blackmon, and Stu Turley as they talk about the issues around wind energy. Live on X, YouTube and LinkedIn on Monday morning at 8:00
Back to the electronic insights article:
“Much of Britain’s conventional generation has retired in the last decade, with 18 GW of coal, 4 GW of nuclear, and 3 GW of gas power shutting down. Fewer generators mean higher prices as there is less competition between suppliers, but capacity changes on the continent are also influencing electricity trade. Much of Europe now has excess power generation, as countries have rapidly expanded their solar PV capacity to reduce reliance on Russian gas. Germany and the Netherlands installed 28 and 14 GW over the last three years (compared to just 2 GW in Britain), so spring and summer are now characterised by negative prices across the continent, which Britain can import at low cost.”
That low cost in the last sentence is now high cost!
Onwards!
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