Re: The energy crisis
 

Because Ofwat pressured them to do so.:rolleyes:

Re: The energy crisis
 

Not sure what the roll-eyes are about.

In most businesses, if you retire old systems/facilities/equipment, you tend to replace them with new to ensure resilience, continuity, capacity, and delivery - you don’t just get rid of the old stuff…

Re: The energy crisis
 

Except they are not being allowed to build new ones.

Re: The energy crisis
 

At least higher energy and food prices his will make people a bit more careful about their energy and food consumption. . If we don't stop being so consumerist and generating so much waste, then prices will be the very the least of our worries.

Re: The energy crisis
 

Mail Online

Re: The energy crisis
 

But they have closed ones that could be used to ease the problem

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/environm...eased-drought/

Re: The energy crisis
 

While I have no desire to defend the water companies (who more than any other private utility have what amounts to a licence to print money), a bald ‘number of reservoirs sold’ doesn’t tell us much.

As the article is behind a paywall I can’t see whether it reveals useful metrics like total cubic capacity lost in the sale, or reasons given for the sales such as reservoir no longer in a strategically useful location, life-expired components being prohibitively expensive to replace, etc.

Re: The energy crisis
 

They closed small ones, and were pressured by the regulator to do so, in order to keep prices lower.

---------- Post added at 10:21 ---------- Previous post was at 10:20 ----------

Starmer will be claiming we can tax those profits.

Re: The energy crisis
 

France has capped prices by renationalising the part of EDF it did not own. We've also nationalised Bulb and subsidised prices. Investment requires money to pay for it but you get some kind of return. We're not getting that currently through our interventions.

As I've previously argued, we should have replaced coal fired capacity with alternatives when they were decommissioned but failing that we need more power generation now.

Fracked gas is sold at global prices so that doesn't reduce prices and it still contributes to the climate change crisis.

All sources have their disadvantages. Nuclear power is struggling at the moment, (just look at France both in inability to deliver new projects and issues in operating during hot summers), better storage is needed for renewables and we know the story on gas. But doing nothing and waiting for the markets to solve it is not an option.

In terms of electricity generation, I think you need to look at sources on a quarterly basis not a daily one to get a more representative figure
Ofgen states for Q1 2022:
Gas 27.45%
Wind and solar 26.49%
Nuclear 11.34%
Bio 8.46%
Net imports 4.94%
https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/energy-data...created&page=4

Re: The energy crisis
 

Doesn't matter what any longer period figures say, it still represents the generating capacity you need at this point in time. At this point in time, you need 49% gas generated. In winter you are going to have less solar. The claim was that we should've invested in other than gas. Today's figures show it couldn't be done, as Germany itself found out.
Where would today's missing 22%(compared to Q1 figures) have come from instead?
Fracking gas in the UK, would increased supply, thereby reducing market prices.

Re: The energy crisis
 

Fracking gas in the UK would provide a miniscule amount of gas such that global prices would not be impacted.

Q1 is in the winter so another quarter would have more solar. You can't look on a daily basis for energy generation.

Today's figures don't show that a shift to more renewables, storage and nuclear cannot be done.

We need to get on with it for the sake of future generations let alone ourselves.

Re: The energy crisis
 

Of course you can, thats exactly what the national grid has to do, every day.
No one can run their devices on electricity promised in the future, you need it now.
A shortfall now means something has to give, or it has to be 'imported' from elsewhere.

---------- Post added at 18:06 ---------- Previous post was at 17:58 ----------

Well estimates do vary somewhat, but none are 'miniscule'.
https://www.lse.ac.uk/granthaminstit...ere-in-the-uk/

Most of the recent esimates are around 4 trillion cubic meters.
The UK [domestic] requirement is 70 - 80 billion cubic meters.
So it could keep the whole UK supplied for around 40 - 50 years.

Another report (further down) calculated that UK production of shale gas could meet between 17 and 22 per cent of UK cumulative consumption between 2020 and 2050 (That I presume includes non domestic use). Again, not really "miniscule".

Re: The energy crisis
 

Providing 17-22% of UK gas needs, isn't so miniscule.
Still wondering where the shortage is, and who is doing without.

9% solar today may look good, but come winter with shorter days and cloudy skies, it's not going to reach 9%. That is another gap to fill. If you don't have gas for electricity. you are could be looking at a 60% shortfall in winter. So what viable alternatives are there for not having gas generated electricity?

Re: The energy crisis
 

Strange. It is not paywalled for me. Here's the same story from the Express. Note, both outlets are staunch Tory supporters

https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/16...ht-latest-news

You also have the Google cache to peruse: https://webcache.googleusercontent.c...&ct=clnk&gl=uk

Re: The energy crisis
 

What's a more accurate representation of where the UK's electricity generation comes from? One day in the middle of a heat wave or an average of three months? That was my point to Nomadking.

Yup, estimates for fracking gas in the UK vary considerably but everything I've read says even the most optimistic outputs won't be enough to impact global prices. Just because it might be sourced from the UK does not mean it will be sold here. I think it can also be safely ruled out as a UK energy source, no mainstream political party in the UK supports it, it's a pipe dream.

---------- Post added at 22:13 ---------- Previous post was at 22:04 ----------

It's a case of getting on with what I've said before - renewables, storage and nuclear. And probably more insulation. The energy regulator will determine which are viable but doing nothing is not an option. Nor can global warming be forgotten too.