Keeping the lights on.

[Workingman]

We do not need Hinkley C nuclear powers station.

So says 'research' by The Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU). All we need to do is build more windmills, insulate properties to the max, use energy efficient appliances and cut down a little bit. It all sounds reasonable until one looks at the ECIU.

It claims to be a philanthropic Green organisation dedicated to climate change conversations - hardly a research institution. It is supported by other philanthropic foundations dedicated to the environment by being anti anything other than renewables. All of which begs the question as to why the media is presenting the ECIU's report as factual and objective.

We need electricity. Modern life depends on it. Messing about with its provision should be a crime against humanity.

I am not for a second saying that we should not be doing the things suggested by the ECIU, but our priority should be to be able to meet demand, now, today, and in the future. We need to take care of that before playing about with things untried, unproven, untested and unknown.

As things stand we are damned close to failing to keep the lights on.

[Kaz]

Absolutely spot on!

[pederito1]

I too thinkley should be abandoned, not that I don`t think nuclear is the only sensible way to make electricity but this is far too dear and putting ourselves in hock to the Chinese and the French er Oh dear!! It seems that everything we build here is much more expensive than it should be, due initially to greedy consultants choosing the most expensive of everything whether or not that is justified eg hypothetical gold plated taps in the wash rooms. Then the unscrupulous contractors who hide open ended clauses in tenders to ensure a cost over run. I once did detailed analyses of large project tenders by an American "B" and a French one "S-B" and found anomalies ensuring excessive profit in many areas.
Now I think we should keep the coal plants going and minimise pollution now we don`t have to answer to Brussels. Use up our coal stocks and maybe some fracking where it can be done without too much destruction of lovely countryside, expensive no doubt but what else

[Workingman]

Ped, I think that you are right about coal and fracking. Nothing should be ruled in as the answer, and nothing should be ruled out. In the medium term we need to be looking at anything and everything to help us out, and during that time try to perfect some of the more exotic solutions - nuclear fusion.

[manxie]

RE Fracking
Why are they giving licenses to Frack in the north of England when the largest reserves are in the south ?????

Look to the USA where fracking has been done and see the results of Drought and contaminated water supplies.

Why not more Solar or water or wind powered electric??

Manxie xx

[Workingman]

RE Fracking
Why are they giving licenses to Frack in the north of England when the largest reserves are in the south ?????

Because in the parts of the North where fracking is being allowed there are fewer people, therefore fewer voters to upset. No stockbroker belt up here.

It is not that fracking is wrong or particularly dangerous, some of the US scare stories have been over-egged, but energy is a national need and everywhere should be involved if it can be.

[Suff]

This is an especially salient point as I recently learned that every time we pull power over the cable from France, we don't get the clean Nuclear power from France, they use all of that. We're pulling dirty coal power from Belgium and Holland which is sold on by France.

I want an extensive push to HDR geothermal with advanced techniques and tidal. Doesn't look like I'm going to get it though.....

[Workingman]

Quite a lot is being made of the two 100kW tidal generators just installed off Shetland. There is no hint of the true cost of each turbine but Nova, who made them, received £70,000 for a workshop extention and £1.9m in loans and grants.

Excuse me, but the country is covered with waterways capable of producing so much more (1 - 10 MW or so) from reverse Archimedes screws and for a fraction of the cost. Producing, installing and maintaining them would create jobs and be good for the environment and each one could be in place in months from start to finish.

[Suff]

Also very true and I keep forgetting it.

But, remember, we use twice as much energy for transport as we do electricity. To make that transition even half way will require us to double our baseload power.