The energy crisis

If [or when ?] Labour get into power, you'll have a whole new energy crisis to deal with.

One of Starmer's 'five missions' is "removing fossil fuels from all of Britain's electricity generation by 2030".

This despite the fact that almost 42% of current generation is from Gas, and 2.5% from Coal.

What does he think is going to generate all this electricity in [just under] 7 years time ?
(when of course, we'll likely need even more to than we produce now, to charge up all these electric cars).

[denphone]

Originally Posted by TheDaddy

Pre pay thing used to top up, often referred to as a key

Yeah l remember having one in our previous abode.

Now we top up through our mobile.

[1andrew1]

Originally Posted by Paul

If [or when ?] Labour get into power, you'll have a whole new energy crisis to deal with.

One of Starmer's 'five missions' is "removing fossil fuels from all of Britain's electricity generation by 2030".

This despite the fact that almost 42% of current generation is from Gas, and 2.5% from Coal.

What does he think is going to generate all this electricity in [just under] 7 years time ?
(when of course, we'll likely need even more to than we produce now, to charge up all these electric cars).

I believe that's the Conservatives' promise too. I'm sceptical of both of them. Happy to be proved wrong.

Originally Posted by 1andrew1

I believe that's the Conservatives' promise too. I'm sceptical of both of them. Happy to be proved wrong.

You believe wrong, theirs is 2035.

(I dont think thats entirely realistic either, but its more realistic than 2030).

[Chrysalis]

Originally Posted by Paul

If [or when ?] Labour get into power, you'll have a whole new energy crisis to deal with.

One of Starmer's 'five missions' is "removing fossil fuels from all of Britain's electricity generation by 2030".

This despite the fact that almost 42% of current generation is from Gas, and 2.5% from Coal.

What does he think is going to generate all this electricity in [just under] 7 years time ?
(when of course, we'll likely need even more to than we produce now, to charge up all these electric cars).

We will hopefully have one more nuclear plant up by then, but yeah 2030 seems too ambitious, probably election campaign nonsense, I think its doable by 2050 if we get our act together on tidal power and more nuclear power. Increasing wind and solar capacity combined with battery storage will help as well, currently I think we dont store much if any of the generated wind power meaning we have periods of excess where people like me get paid to use electric, and periods of shortage when there isnt enough wind.

[Pierre]

getting rid of gas is just madness.

Originally Posted by Paul

If [or when ?] Labour get into power, you'll have a whole new energy crisis to deal with.

One of Starmer's 'five missions' is "removing fossil fuels from all of Britain's electricity generation by 2030".

This despite the fact that almost 42% of current generation is from Gas, and 2.5% from Coal.

What does he think is going to generate all this electricity in [just under] 7 years time ?
(when of course, we'll likely need even more to than we produce now, to charge up all these electric cars).

Well, we’ll get about 3.5 GW from Hinckley Point C when it opens (should be 2028) but we’d need 8 of those to replace all the gas. Plus we’re going to lose 7 old nuclear reactors at the same time HPC opens. So it’s swings and roundabouts really.

There are signs of sanity from the Labour front bench in Scotland, where the SNP is presently using its planning powers to forestall any talk of new nuclear north of the border, even though just a couple of nuclear plants would take care of Scotland’s entire base load requirement with plenty to spare. Labour now says it is favourable to new nuclear in Scotland.

The problem with nuclear as designed and deployed in the UK in recent decades is, first, it takes far too long to design and build, and second, it costs an absolute smegging fortune to do. But as it’s the most carbon efficient means of providing reliable base load we really need to find a way to do it. Rolls Royce’s new Small Modular Reactor is one possible way forwards. They’re small so should be easier and cheaper to build. And there are multiple sites in the UK with decommissioned reactors on them already so possibly easier to get done without too much local opposition.

SMRs are a lot smaller - around 470MW as opposed to 3GW or more for the traditionally-sized stations the government has been trying to get built for the last 20 years. But in terms of cost per megawatt, they should produce twice as much electricity per £1 of construction cost as their larger alternatives.

However, the first Rolls Royce SMR will not be built before 2029, so in answer to your question, no, there is absolutely not a snowball’s chance in hell of Labour or anyone else getting gas entirely out of our energy mix in the next 7 years.

[1andrew1]

Originally Posted by Pierre

getting rid of gas is just madness.

It's sensible if we replace it with something else cleaner but you can't just take it out of the equation otherwise. That's just fantasy politics.

[spiderplant]

Originally Posted by Paul

What does he think is going to generate all this electricity in [just under] 7 years time ?

"Labour says it will work with business to more than quadruple offshore wind power, triple solar, and double onshore wind by the end of this decade, while backing nuclear, hydrogen, and tidal power."

Gas generates 25,000 gigawatt hours as of right now. Each of the 20 plants in the UK is producing an average of 1.25 gigawatts - fractionally more than you need to power a Delorean.

Anyone fancy calculating exactly how many wind farms and solar farms we would need within the next 7 years, given that there’s just no way we’re going to get any new nuclear within that time apart from Hinckley Point, delivering a useful but fractional contribution of 3.6 GWH?

The actual energy price cap has been reduced from £4,279 in January £3,280 in April.
However, this isnt going to help anyone as the Govt cap is going up from £2,500 to £3,000.
That presumably just means they'll be paying less subsidy to the energy complanies for the difference.
It does seem like it makes a case for keeping the govt cap at £2,500, but that seems unlikely with the current lot in charge.

[Jaymoss]

Originally Posted by Paul

The actual energy price cap has been reduced from £4,279 in January £3,280 in April.
However, this isnt going to help anyone as the Govt cap is going up from £2,500 to £3,000.
That presumably just means they'll be paying less subsidy to the energy complanies for the difference.
It does seem like it makes a case for keeping the govt cap at £2,500, but that seems unlikely with the current lot in charge.

There is a budget 15th March so they could announce it then. They have been under pressure to do so from opposition and public opinion ie the likes of Martin Lewis

[Chrysalis]

Originally Posted by Paul

The actual energy price cap has been reduced from £4,279 in January £3,280 in April.
However, this isnt going to help anyone as the Govt cap is going up from £2,500 to £3,000.
That presumably just means they'll be paying less subsidy to the energy complanies for the difference.
It does seem like it makes a case for keeping the govt cap at £2,500, but that seems unlikely with the current lot in charge.

Even worse the cap was effectively £2100 with the £400 credit, so % wise it's quite a large bump.

The amount of pressure now compared to last summer, is very low, without the political pressure I agree with you that any shift of policy is unlikely.

[tweetiepooh]

Someone, sometime will have to pay for any help given and once again it will be the middle income earners who also are most likely to have invested in insulation and energy efficient devices and are likely to have more energy efficient behaviours who will catch it in the neck. Certainly we should help the vulnerable but people have to realise that the more help given the higher taxes will have to be to pay it back.

[RichardCoulter]

Originally Posted by Paul

If [or when ?] Labour get into power, you'll have a whole new energy crisis to deal with.

One of Starmer's 'five missions' is "removing fossil fuels from all of Britain's electricity generation by 2030".

This despite the fact that almost 42% of current generation is from Gas, and 2.5% from Coal.

What does he think is going to generate all this electricity in [just under] 7 years time ?
(when of course, we'll likely need even more to than we produce now, to charge up all these electric cars).

I think all the parties want to switch away from fossil fuels & use greener alternatives instead to create energy. This is to stop greenhouse gases.

---------- Post added at 21:42 ---------- Previous post was at 21:35 ----------

Originally Posted by 1andrew1

I believe that's the Conservatives' promise too. I'm sceptical of both of them. Happy to be proved wrong.

They seem unrealistic as it's all about doing a lot in a relatively short amount of time. The situation is now believed to be so serious that action has to taken quickly, so let's hope it can be achieved.