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30 comments on UK Energy Gap

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Stuart Staniford on March 5, 2006 - 1:11am Permalink | Subthread | Comments top
Chris - great intro. I'm curious about the fall in UK wind + hydro that you cite near the beginning as 10.2%. Is this just due to fluctuations in the wind and rain, or is there some other reason?
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Simstim on March 5, 2006 - 9:51am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
I'm curious about this as well, I was under the impression that UK renewables capacity was on the increase (albeit not fast enough to meet the decline in fuel, er, fuelled production).
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Chris Vernon on March 5, 2006 - 2:00pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
After looking at the quarterly data it seems like the 10% fall on a year ago isn't that unusual, the rates seem to vary quite a bit. The real surprise to me is how the output hasn't increased over the last seven years!
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Jamie on March 5, 2006 - 5:55pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
I'm afraid the answer is all too obvious and it's spelt NIMBY. See: http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/england/professionals/en/1115313894574.html
There is simply no real recognition yet of the seriousness of the problem. The recent energy price increases of 20%+ following about 15% last year are focussing a few minds - but not all: http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/england/professionals/en/1115313894518.html
on the necessity to buffer supply when you are near the end of the pipeline (Eire is still last!)No doubt we are relying on the US solution to the balance of payments effect - borrow and print. Meanwhile you encourage further exploration by increasing the tax on the North Sea oil operations.......?? The point the powers that be are missing, as rehearsed over and over on TOD, is the length of time required to actually construct the alternatives. Nuclear stations do not appear overnight even when planning is in place. We have probably the best availability of wave and wind energy in europe but we are taking only baby steps to harness it.
I welcome the UK TOD site and only hope that it attracts enough attention to make a difference. This is a worldwide problem and setting up a "Chorus" of TODs seems to be the best contribution we ordinary mortals can make.
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