For about 18 months I have been posting stories about the coming crisis with coal-fired power stations being closed by the EU, nuclear stations reaching the end of their lives and nothing significant being built to replace them. So one can only say ‘I told you so’! It looks we’ll not only be poor but also poor in the dark too.
One ray of cheer is that the Norwegans and National grid are considering the installation of a long-distance power link so that any surplus wind-power we have (like at night when we don’t want it) can be sent to Norway to pump up water to their reservoirs while in exchange they can send us hydro-power when the wind stops blowing here - or blows too hard. It will - of course - take years to get it on ‘ stream’.
Christina
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REUTERS 9.10.09
Consumers face hike in energy bills
By Matt Scuffham
LONDON (Reuters) - Consumers could see their energy bills rise by up to a quarter over the next 10 years as Britain faces a requirement to invest 200 billion pounds to secure supplies and meet climate change targets.
Energy regulator Ofgem said on Friday the investment would be needed to pay for new power plants and other infrastructure.
"Given the massive levels of investment needed, there is a high likelihood of rising consumer bills, especially if oil and gas prices continue their underlying rise since 2003," Ofgem said, following a review of the country's energy supplies.
The regulator said customers could face increases in domestic energy bills of between 14 and 25 percent by 2020, while wholesale price spikes could lead to temporary increases in bills of up to 60 percent in the interim period.
Ofgem said Britain faces a number of challenges to its gas and electricity supplies over the next ten to fifteen years including power stations nearing the ends of their lives and an increasing need to import gas via volatile global markets.
"These are big challenges. Britain faces a tough challenge in maintaining secure supplies whilst at the same time meeting its climate change targets," said Ofgem Chief Executive Alistair Buchanan.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said that Britain could balance the need to tackle climate change with energy security.
"The most important thing about Ofgem's report this morning is that it emphasises the need to, as we are doing, get on with new nuclear power, new renewables, including wind which is unpopular with some people, and clean coal and we're doing all of those things," he told BBC Radio 4.
Miliband noted that the government planned to source 40 percent of its energy from low carbon by 2020.
"Most of that is home-grown energy and that helps us to stabilise gas imports rather than just increasing them," he said.
Shadow Energy Secretary Greg Clark said Britain faces a combination of price rises and worries that power supplies are going to be interrupted.
"It's yet another piece of evidence that we face a real problem here. It's really a horror show," he said.
Britain's main gas and electricity suppliers are Centrica, EDF, E.ON, RWE, Iberdrola's Scottish Power, and Scottish & Southern Energy.
Ofgem said it will put forward proposals in the new year on how the industry can meet the challenges, following a consultation period.
(Additional reporting by Keith Weir; Editing by Hans Peters and Rupert Winchester)
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BBC Radio 4 - ‘Today’ 9.10.09
Britain faces an energy "horror show", warns Clark
Greg Clark MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change [Confusion - too many ‘Clartk(e)s in politics!)
Mr Clark warned that Britain faces an energy “horror show” in the wake of a new Ofgem report, and accused the government of having “their head in the sand” over energy.
He said the report, which says £200bn of investment is needed, is “another piece of evidence that we face a real horror show”.
He said immediate action needs to be taken, and a Conservative government would “authorise 5gw of capacity in clean coal. It is available, it needs to be deployed. It’s pre-commercial, it needs government support.
“The government have been dithering for years when it comes to carbon capture and storage.”
He also said that the Tories would immediately publish planning guidance for nuclear power stations.
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