SSE boss Ian Marchant warns of risk of "lights going out"

[Phil]

[The Other Mike]

They should look closer to home for the real reasons the lights are going out.

"SSE currently owns 740MW of onshore wind capacity in the UK and Ireland, and has 695MW in construction, including 350MW at our Clyde wind farm in southern Scotland, which is expected to cost £500million when it is due to be commissioned in 2012. By 2020, SSE aims to have over 3GW of onshore wind in operation."

"Offshore wind, although more expensive than onshore wind is attractive due to the strong and consistent wind speeds found out at sea, mitigating issues with intermittency. In 2009 the UK became the leader in offshore wind capacity, a lead expected to increase. SSE is looking to be a market leader in this sector, beginning with the construction of Greater Gabbard, a joint venture with RWE nPower, which at over 500MW will is expected to be the largest offshore wind farm in the World when commissioned in 2012."

[harry]

You need to make sure you can manage in your house without electricity. Most people's heating/cooking dependson it.

[The Natural Philosopher]

A house without light and internet is not worth living in.

[Bill Wright]

The greenies are going to take us back to the Dark Ages, literally, which is what they think they want. But how they'll squeal when the lights go out.

Bill

[Brian Gaff]

Does this mean then that if you set up anice sailing bot in behind the windfarm, it will be becalmed?

Brian

[Brian Gaff]

Yes I have no gas whatsoever here. I do trust that the idiots keep a few coal stations mothballed and ready to go for those times when existing conditions will be outside the parameters of the system, as I heard some idiot say the other day. Brian

[Dave Liquorice]

At the same time they are reducing the available capacity at their coal/gas stations. They are business, business's are there to make money for their shareholders. The best way in the current market is to rake in as much subsidy as you can from windmills and shut down the conventional plant that doesn't have such a large mark up.

[Andrew Gabriel]

Front page of Friday's Times apparently says we have only 2 days stock of Gas at the moment, versus the 15 days we normally have...

And we're just heading into several more days of snow across the country.

[Bill]

I'm almost looking forward to it!

I've not had a decent power cut since installing the 7KVA genny a few years ago. It has had more test hours on it than real usage hours.

Probably a comment best for other news groups, but if it happens it will be nice to be able to listen on HF without all the local PLT/PLA QRM too. :-)

[Mike Tomlinson]

En el artículo , Andrew Gabriel escribió:

The Russians must be laughing all the way to the bank. They're about to snap up Cyprus for a song, with the exploration and drilling rights, and now they can rip us off on gas supply.

[Tim Watts]

On Friday 22 March 2013 00:02 Andrew Gabriel wrote in uk.d-i-y:

I have 3 bags of coal left...

Some blackouts, short but random, would do well to wake the population up to the state we're in. I think the givernment understand, internally, well enough - but wait until the first new nuke is being built for the protests.

[harry]

It's not easy/cheap to "mothball" a power station.

The owners are eager to shut them down, they will save money. If there are any power cuts, they can blame the government.

"Greenies" have been predicting this situation for decades. The main reason we are in it is down to inaction by the gov. and the privatisation of our energy services.

Probably next Winter will be crunch time. You need to prepare for it.

Make sure you have alternative heating arrangements and before Winter, lay some essentials in, (food fuel).

This Summer you need to think about getting any fireplaces you might have working. Ideally get a stove.

[harry]

Not actually that useful in a prolonged power cut.

In any event. if your lights are on and everyone elses are off, you will become a hate figure.

Even if you have solar PV you become a hate figure to the jealous, idle, stupid and incompetant.

[harry]

I have a four years worth of wood (I don't need much). But Winter's nearly over. Hopefully.

Everybody needs to be taking precautions for next Winter. There could be panic buying of essentials by the fools that are unprepared. So the time to be thinking about it all is now.

[harry]

I see you are one of the half wits. The government is going to take us back to the dark ages. "Greenies" have been warning for years about this. Only now you are taking notice.

The greenies won't be squealing, most are prepared. You might be squealing, but you're a halfwit arncha?

[harry]

You really are a sad bastard aren't you?

[Martin Brown]

Watch the speculators and spivs make money on the spot market to drive the immediate delivery bulk gas price sky high.

There are nothing like enough scientists and engineers in government for a sensible energy policy and far too many lawyers, bean counters and worse still career politicians with no real world experience.

A three day working week with rolling powercuts are very much Tory policy as in shades of 74-5 and Edward Heath's government vs the miners. This time though it is down to wilful prevarication by both political parties who were afraid to invest in new power plant.

[Tim Watts]

On Friday 22 March 2013 08:22 harry wrote in uk.d-i-y:

So everyone goes back to (ineffecient) local coal/wood burners.

That was truely a victory for the greens, and the weak previos governments who were afraid of them...

Smog here we come.

[Tim Watts]

On Friday 22 March 2013 08:36 harry wrote in uk.d-i-y:

Nope, because I feel the same way.