From the Daily Express:Britain is "quite simply running out of power" and blackouts are almost inevitable within the next few years.But here's what caught my eye:
This is the stark warning from the head of an energy think-tank who believes power cuts could be serious enough to spark civil disorder.
Campbell Dunford of the respected Renewable Energy Foundation said: "It’s almost too late to do anything about it. Nothing will stop us having to pay very high prices for power in future."
...
The “retirement” of a string of nuclear and coal-fired power stations will see 37 percent of the UK’s generation disappear by 2015, partly because of EU environmental directives.
The [REF] report concludes: "A near fatal preoccupation with politically attractive but marginal forms of renewables seems to have caused a blindness towards the weakening of the UK’s power stations and a dangerous and helpless vulnerability to natural gas."Wow, I'm a bit stunned (and impressed) that a renewable think-tank admitted this conclusion. Hopefully many in the U.S. are watching and taking notes on Britain's experience.
Hat-tip to Eric McErlain!
Comments
Do the nukes have to be retired? Most US plants have had their licenses extended.
The Express article is quite sensationalist, however. The idea that the UK would meekly shut down its old coal stations and suffer powercuts because of an EU directive is farfetched. Modernisation of old plants or payment of fines for non-compliance are the far more likely consequences of the directive.
They'd still need more plants than they have though.
That might not be politically possible though. Without new nuclear reactors though, they're not necessarily not going to be able to power the country. They'll just need more submarine cables to France, since they're not stupid about nuclear energy there.