It is - frankly - shocking that elite culture has drifted so far into the world of make believe that something as simple as energy security has become a political battleground. If there was a single issue that the entire political body of a country has a stake in, that is the issue.
And yet, somehow, we're seeing Europe in this position where they're trying to go it without energy. The figures out of the UK [0] are jaw dropping to me. 44% reduction in energy production, 20% in electricity and with a growing population!
The country must be populated entirely by monks and ascetics if they are putting up with this.
Also as a brit, there is some other truly mystifying things happening with gas.
I was reading yesterday how despite the gas price explosion we are seeing, which is crippling for many low income households, we actually exported twice the quantity of gas September - November 2021 than in the same period in 2020. Clearly privately owned gas companies currently have the right to sell to the highest bidder, even if it is oversees. But, right now, the UK government needs to be addressing the cost of energy crisis that is impacting its citizens and it isn't a supply issue at all.
I think the people of the UK who are struggling to afford to heat their homes this winter would disagree that the market is working.
I generally agree with free markets but I also believe the government should step in and regulate, impose restriction or cut taxes when their own people are suffering.
I agree that there are cares where the market needs to be directed into the right direction because incentives are missing. Natural monopolies immediately come to mind and if course not paying for negative externalities.
Where I disagree is when we try to manipulate the market to lower prices so that poor people can afford it. Let's stop screwing with the market when not necessary and just make sure people have the needed money to get by. Ultimately that will need cheaper in total. But costs would be obvious instead of hidden ask it's politically hard to impossible.
About 40 billion cubic meters (bcm) annually in recent years down from 100bcm in 2004. I believe mostly from the North Sea. We use about 70bcm per year and so are net importers, which makes the fact we have increased exports during an energy crisis confusing.
I believe the stats on exports are exclusive to exports of what we have “produced”.
From my maths we exported about 3bcm of gas Sept-Nov last year.
My understanding from memory is that the oil/gas companies licence the right to drill in the north sea from the Crown (effectively the government). I believe the Crown estate “owns” the seabed, or something like that.
Maybe, but those of us who grew up in the wake of Chernobyl are likely never going to support nuclear power regardless of the facts. You can ignore that fact, but that doesn’t mean society is somehow magically going to readjust to what is “right” or “scientific”.
I say this, not in defence of the anti-nuclear generations of Europe but more so to explain why the political climate is how it is.
Beyond this comes money. Our technology sector is invested in basically every sort of green energy, except for nuclear. All our advantages in making money lie in things like wind and solar power, and if we were to truly adopt nuclear power, it’s very likely that all that money would leave Europe and go into Chinese or Indian technology. Which may be great for the planet, but you’re just not going to see European politicians stand in line to transfer energy sector jobs in the hundreds or thousands out from Europe.
It is what it is, but this isn’t likely to change in the next 40 so years.
> Beyond this comes money. Our technology sector is invested in basically every sort of green energy, except for nuclear.
Fortunately (at least in my opinion) this is changing, Rolls-Royce are developing new "mini nuclear reactors". We have the technological expertise and it looks like we are beginning to see the political and financial motivation too.
It is still being built and they have a very good deal that means every house hold in the UK will be paying over the odds to give it guaranteed profits for decades to come.
per ofgem, wholesale prices have been greater than Hinkley's £92/MWh since October.
And that's before we add heating to the winter electric load. Conservatively, and I am really trying here, you're doubling grid load. If we go by my household, you're adding a zero.
I can find multiple >12 hr periods in this fairly mild winter where wind has essentially failed on demand (<5% satisfaction). I'm sorry but if someone says "storage" when talking about even that sort of shortfall they're lying.
I imagine ? is quite a lot. I'm not sure how they do the numbers but we import a lot of gas and oil. I'd guess the drop in produced has more to do with north sea oil running out than greenery.
I think people these days are really disconnected from the real world. Earlier generations lived through wars, saw extreme poverty, food and energy rationing. Now people have never lived without anything important.
That's why we use representative democracies, sometimes tough unpopular decisions are needed for the "greater good". The majority of public opinion would be against a tax hike to fix infrastructure that's falling apart or new nuclear power plants, but both can be vital ( or otherwise people die by bridges falling apart or pollution).
He's not talking about the Koch, Gates and Murdoch type elites
He's talking about the "I read the New Yorker and shop at whole foods" type elites who make the bulk of the noise and drive most of the discourse around these sorts of issues despite their landscaper being the one who's actually hurt by high energy costs.
No matter how you cut it if your definition of elite says that absolute majorities at the ballot box / in opinion polls are elites it's either wrong or not a very useful definition of elite
And yet, somehow, we're seeing Europe in this position where they're trying to go it without energy. The figures out of the UK [0] are jaw dropping to me. 44% reduction in energy production, 20% in electricity and with a growing population!
The country must be populated entirely by monks and ascetics if they are putting up with this.
[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_in_the_United_Kingdom#O...