Will the lights go out this winter ? Maybe.

Will the lights go ut this winter we are warned the margin is small. Yes this is what happens when Governments allow reckless Companies to cash in on the Gas boom of the 80's and 90's. Gas power should only be used for "topping up" power at times of peak demand yet Gas power stations were all rage - they were cheap to build and run, low in pollution (but not CO2)  and reaped in the payments. North Sea gas has gone and you don't see so many now.

Wind Power is unreliable - what we don't want is prolonged cold and no wind, then Russia might turn the Gas off. We've even less of a store of Gas - that might worry you. the cold winter before we got down to 1 yes 1 days supply! I can sit in the dark as long as the heatings on. Without Gas what do you do - light a fire.? In the power cut ther's no "heater" to put on.

Be worried. it take 10 years to build a new Nuclear power station. They are just starting on the first one for over 20 years that's why we're in trouble. What about tidal - its reliable, renewable and non polluting and could help with flood defences.

We all need to shout about it.

CO2 killing the planet?

Great idea to contain the CO2 but why can't they pipe it into greenhouses and boost plant growth. Using solar power the plants convert CO2 back to starch and grow.

Wind Farms get paid for NOT generating electricity

WOW am I mad. I found out today that Wind Farms get paid for NOT generating electricity!

Its  bad enough that they are so subsidised to make it worth while in the first place, I've said this before but to actually be told NOT to generate electricity and then get Compensation is MAD!

Its a bit technical but the National Grid pays all Generators compensation if they don't need the electricity they are generating - effectivly throwing it away and compensating them. SO if its too windy and there is loads of Wind Energy and we don't need it they tell them to stop and compensate them. 

CRAZY.

We should use all the Wind Energy and shut down the Coal/Gas/Nuclear/Oil etc.?

Save your Steam Railway!

Oh dear - the closure of Daw Mill colliery is bad news for all Steam Railway enthusiasts.

It supplies most of the Steam Coal, without which the trains can't run.

Panic!! World with out Sir Nigel Gresley, the Flying Scotsman, Tornado, pulling trains of excited children on days out to the coast etc. Railway preservation societies like the North Yorkshire Moors Railway (NYMR) are hard hit and having to cut back to save coal stocks.

What will we do.?

All of you - campaign to get more coal - there must be alternative mines. They just need some help.

Don't let Steam die forever.

Last Word on Margaret Thatcher

Sad news that she's passed away. RIP Maggie.

Whatever you think she was our one and only Woman Prime Minister. Whether you agree with her politics or not she did stick to her guns which is more that sCameron does. (Does he belive in anything?).

Remember when she came to power Britain was a basket case. We were worse that Greece/Ireland/Cyprus are now. We need a bailout from th eIMF to keep going. No wonder things were dire. Drastic actions was called for, curb the power of the unions, and cut out waste. We couldn't afford to subsidise all those nationalised industries like coal and rail.

Then it was a courtesy of Labour's legacy. Now they've done it again. Blair and co have left us Bankrupt again, we need a Thatcher to rescue us again.

Lights out! no GAS?

I agree with the Mail comment about how we may only be days away from GAS rationing.

WHy?

How did Britain – once a leading energy producer – come to be so reliant on imports from Russian gangsters, an underwater pipeline from Norway and ships bringing liquefied gas thousands of miles from Qatar?

And also

Instead of commissioning replacements for our ageing nuclear power stations, and creating new storage facilities for gas, politicians fixated over building  useless countryside-scarring windmills.
When we got North Sea Gas in the 70's we could have baked it and secured our future energy needs but what diid we do - squabdered it.

WE had the Dash fo GAS and buit Gas Power Staions so we could shut the Coal Fired ones and end the dependency on Caol - good idea but now where's the Gas?

WE MUST build some proper power stions, Nulclear fission or Fusion we can't wait till the lightas go out can we?

Energy - worse than higher prices - what to do when the lights go out?

We are blindly sleep walking into a crisis.

I could write a book on this but the future of energy in this country is bleak.

I am old enough to remember the rota cuts in tte 70's under Heath. Its not nice. It could happen here in 3 - 6 years.

We are using more and more energy even though it is getting more expensive yet supply must match demand. Its a law of physics like night follows day - ask Prof Brian Cox - he knows everything.

Anyway why be worried? Because we're shutting power stations and not building new ones. Forget the turbines - ONE gigawat power station would be equivalent to 10000 turbines so where and how are they going to build them? By april 10% of our supply will be turned off - what then? That's about 5gw, or 50,000 turbines - LOL!! remember does the wind blow 24x7?

We've had the dash-for-gas about 15yrs ago many gas fired power stations were built cheap, clean and efficient but drained our gas reserves and they only last about 10-15years. Not a good idea so now we need several nuclear stations to replace the gap but where and how will they be built. They take about 5-10yrs to get going - we can't wait that long hence the GAP. That's when the lights go out.

Believe me you read it here.

The good thing about this economic crisis is it reduces demand for power giving us a little breathing space. But when things pick up? What about fuel where is that to come from? GAS - probably from Russia or the middle east but then we're dependant on imports and what if there's trouble? Look at events in Africa with Al Qaeda taking over. Be worried.

We could use less - fat chance! Technology advances to make more efficient devices, but what about all those electric cars? where do they get their power? WE could spend the money on turbines on insulating our homes better or putting solar panels on every house! Why not?

Funny  thing is we're sitting on 200 years worth of Coal - but they won't use that its "dirty". Technology exists to burn it cleanly but its more expensive so BILLS UP! one way or another.

SORRY.