Britain Heading For Power Cuts Next Winter, Say 60 Local Authorities

[mikey4444]

http://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/feb/25/britain-heading-for-power-cuts-next-winter-say-60-local-authorities

"The Industrial Communities Alliance (ICA), an all-party association of councils from across Britain, said National Grid needed to act immediately"

Successive Governments have ignored this problem for far too long.

Building work at Hinkley Point C has still yet to start ! We need to do something before its too late.

Why are the authorities not listening ?

[anotheoldgit]

Islay

/// Are immigrants allowed to join the boy scouts? ///

Yes, as are Girls, hence they are now called "the Scouts" although the the Girl Guides are still so named.

[Svejk]

My, my Islay, what an enormous chip you're carrying around. Let it go, be happy.

[mushroom25]

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications-and-updates/ofgem-shortlists-five-new-electricity-interconnectors

this is ofgen's solution. i am advised by an insider that these are going ahead and before long, we'll be getting far more power from les francais.

[anotheoldgit]

mikey4444

/// Not inside a tent, at midnight, when it was peeing down outside ! ///

Ah, the joys of scouting, takes one back eh Mikey?

/// I was only 10 and a bit. We had a row from Akela the following morning ! ///

Akela??? You must have only been in the cubs then?

[Islay]

Svejk, I have no chip! I am proud that I was not born here it is who I am - I was simply asking a question.

[youngmafbog]

Anyone who thinks mass uncontrolled immigration has no effect on a countries infrastructure is a fool. And Mickey don't be a prat. It has nothing to do with anyone's religion

One of the Usual Suspects.

[Jackdaw33]

Correct AOG. If I recall rightly it was Skipper in the Scouts.

[mikey4444]

Yes AOG, but I seem to recall we were called Cub Scouts.

We were away with the Big Boys for a night, during their annual summer camp
( near Tring in Hertfordshire actually) In the lead up to the weekend, we were all so excited !

The other thing I recall with absolute clarity are the 'horrible "lats"

No PortaPotties in the early 60s....just a nasty slit trench behind some canvas screens, with a small shovel. I had never come across these kinds of ablutions before in my life and they were a severe blow to my sensibility. My Mum was mortified when I told her, although Dad said that were "character-building !

Never had a poo so quick in my life !

[Jackdaw33]

In my day (late 50s) they were called Wolf Cubs.

[mikey4444]

Jack...I think you are right....its an awful long time ago !

[anotheoldgit]

mikey4444

Ah yes, those latrines, much worse during a heat wave, flies on your bum and all that, not to mention the odour.

[mushroom25]

//much worse during a heat wave, flies on your bum and all that, not to mention the odour..//

they're much better than a turdis if it's hot, where you're likely to throw up as you go through the door.......

[ToraToraTora]

"Why are the authorities not listening ? " -the question is mikey, why are they listening to idiots, build some Nuke power stations pronto, end of.

[mushroom25]

TTT, see my link above. why build nuclear stations when we can blag off the french and let them take all the risks? the capacity of the interconnectors is the same as 3 stations the size of Heysham.

[EDDIE51]

Very little (if anything) we can do now it's too late. You can't build a nuclear power station in less than 10 years minimum. No coal fired power stations left and gas turbine stations at full stretch.
Do you remember the promises back in the early 60s that once nuclear power was fully 'up and running' electricity would be so cheap and plentiful that it would not be metered, just a standard charge for limitless power?

[ToraToraTora]

yes eddie but i think they did not account for timid governments and loony eco warriors.

[Gromit]

Eddie51 and Tora,

It is not too late. If you have a finite quantity of generation (as you seem to be implying) them you can change your use from inefficient waste of that supply by making our homes and appliances more energy efficient.

And investment in renewable has not stop. Ony this week Scottish Power commited to East Anglia One.

// Scottish Power Renewables [IBE.MC] said on Wednesday it had made a final investment decision to go ahead with its East Anglia ONE offshore wind farm in south-east England.

The 2.5 billion pound ($3.5 billion) project has a capacity of 714 megawatts, enough to power the equivalent of 500,000 homes. //

[DTCwordfan]

// Scottish Power Renewables [IBE.MC] said on Wednesday it had made a final investment decision to go ahead with its East Anglia ONE offshore wind farm in south-east England.

The 2.5 billion pound ($3.5 billion) project has a capacity of 714 megawatts, enough to power the equivalent of 500,000 homes. //

except when there is no wind, as oft the case in a good summer.

[Gromit]

DRC,
Renewables are not predictable which is why we also need fossil fuels.
When the wind blows, we can turn down the polluting gas fossil fuel. When we have no wins, we can turn up the gas.
We need a mix of diverse sources of generation. Relying on just one does not work for anyone.

[Hypognosis]

@Gromit

Thanks for putting that old "except when" thing to bed, for now. Saved me some typing. :)

People can watch this in action with regular visits to :-

http://www.gridwatch.templar.co.uk

Over the course of the recent winters, I have *never* seen the oil-fired stations gauge budge. (Hover cursor over a guage for some enlightening background info).

The interconnector guages show inputs from French nuke output and spare Dutch wind ouput. Also, how much we put through to Eire & Ireland.

So the crisis scenario requires a 2010-style Siberian blast (jetstream on the blink again) affecting Eire/NI as well as all of UK, yet no wind over Holland and a glitch with the French link.

But, if roads close with snow, factories cannot run at capcity either, lessening the load.

Surprisingly, the year's peak demand may be in high summer, thanks to the recent trend for air conditioned office space.