Among the issues most commonly discussed are individuality, the rights of the individual, the limits of legitimate government, morality, history, economics, government policy, science, business, education, health care, energy, and man-made global warming evaluations. My posts are aimed at intelligent and rational individuals, whose comments are very welcome.

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For "a human being, the question 'to be or not to be,' is the question 'to think or not to think.'" Ayn Rand

03 September 2009

Alternative Energy Failing in Great Britain

The last time Britain had widespread blackouts was in the early 1970s, when they were caused by coal miner's on strike. Once again, the socialists are bringing blackouts to Britain. An EU directive to cut what they call pollution, but what is mostly CO2, is forcing the closure of 9 oil and coal-fired power plants by 2015. Four existing nuclear power stations are also being shut down, due to obsolescence. In the next 10 years, Britain needs to replace one-third of its electric generating capacity.

Meanwhile, the Labour Party, Britain's socialist party, has started a Low Carbon Transition Plan in July, well after the scientific understanding of such nonsense should have put a stop to such plans. The plan expects 40% of Britain's electricity will come from low carbon sources such as clean coal, nuclear, and renewable sources. The plan assumes no increase in the demand for electricity out to 2020! It also assumes a large increase in wind farm generation capacity, which is probably very unrealistic. Meanwhile, the government was held in a state of stasis for a long time on approving a new nuclear reactor design, thanks to environmentalist interference, so new nuclear power plants could not be built. The Labour government has finally approved a nuclear power plant design, but no power companies have yet applied for a permit to build. With minimal obstruction, a plant could be built by 2018. Environmentalist obstructions will delay plant completion dates well beyond that for sure.

The plan assumes that renewable energy sources will provide 30% of the power by 2020, while 10% will come from carbon capture and storage energy sources, even though such sources do not now exist. Nuclear will generate only about 8% of Britain's power.

Hidden in the appendix of a report on that plan there is a projection that Britain will be underserved with electricity by 3000 megawatts per year in 2017 and by 7000 megawatts per year in 2025. These shortages will, in fact, be much greater without a change of policy. Britain is in for some serious blackout time because renewable energy sources cannot provide the necessary electricity even with no increase in demand, so the actual increase in electricity capacity which will be required, will leave Britain in the dark.

Meanwhile, California and Maryland are both also expecting power shortages due to their green energy and environmentalist policies. The anti-energy socialists and environmentalists are wrecking havoc throughout the developed world.

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