The image is of https://grid.iamkate.com/, although there are a hundred similar sites providing the same data
Somebody tell Nigel, we could probably power 1,000 homes off his impotent rage.
Great! Now lets base energy prices on something other than the wholesale price of gas!
It’s a weird one because while electricity prices being derived from gas increases prices, it also encourages renewables. Renewables are cheaper, therefore the profit margin is higher if you’re selling at gas pricing levels.
It’s resulted in the UK switching to renewables at a shockingly rapid rate for a large economy.
But it will also eventually lead to a perverse incentive to keep some gas production, or else our energy prices would be based on another generation method.
Plus, as mentioned, it’s meant higher prices.
It will need to change, I’m just not educated enough to know when. I imagine it’s just an arbitrary balancing act of energy prices and incentivising renewables.
Huh, that’s interesting
Given that coal usage seems to alternate between 20% and 10% of the energy makes I would say we’re not far off from being able to totally back off coal. The problem isn’t really technical it’s political. The fossil fuel industry has put a lot of money into both reform and the conservatives in order to disincentivize them from shutting down all old fossil fuel power plants.
Coal ranges between 10-20%? Uhh are you looking at past data? Or data for another country? The UK is already off coal.
In the past 12 months, coal has been 0.0% of our generation.
The last time coal made up even 10% was in 2016, by 2018 it was 5%, and by 2019 it was extinct aside from during storms when stations were brought online temporarily.
Gas too has been steadily dropping since 2016, going from 13.5GW of generation to 8.9GW in the past 12 months.
The UK is genuinely doing a very very good job in transitioning away from fossil fuel. Especially for a large economy with high power demands.
I’m looking at averages for the top 10 economies. UK still uses a stupid amount of gas which I suppose is mildly better than cold but still basically a fossil fuel so everything I just said is still true
I’m looking at averages for the top 10 economies
Using that average in a discussion about the UK is very disingenuous, considering we don’t use coal anymore.
UK still uses a stupid amount of gas which I suppose is mildly better than cold
It’s not mildly better, it’s hugely better. I think you’re underestimating how awful coal is. Gas is in the region of 60% less emissions than coal, and that’s not even including other aspects such as sulphur dioxide and particulate emissions.
but still basically a fossil fuel so everything I just said is still true
Not really. We’ve already established that the coal line was nonsense, we’ve established that gas isn’t “mildly” better, and like I said, gas is dropping substantially every year.
Your assertion that we still have fossil fuels due to lobbying is nonsensical too. We still have fossil fuels because it is impossible to switch to renewables overnight. Even the UK’s astoundingly fast shift away from coal took years. It’s not just a switch you can flip off. Gas, just like coal is quickly decreasing in the UK.
It doesn’t even make sense to say energy companies are lobbying to stick with fossil fuels in the UK, as it’s literally less profitable for them. The UK is just too perfectly suited for wind for fossil fuel electricity generation to make make much sense as a thing to lobby for.
I’m not by any means patriotic, but my heart does swell when I see this, and also when I see the fleet of windmills from the airplane as we fly into europe.
Like, we did this, and showed the world that it not only works at scale but that it can be primary source.Yeah fine, energy brokers will still hike their prices eventually, even if the cost of production becomes negative, but we’re not killing the world with capitalism we’re just killing each other with capitalism. And I can live with that.
Like, we did this, and showed the world that it not only works at scale but that it can be primary source.
You keep your lands ‘pristine’, unsullied by the ‘dirty’, ‘unsustainable and unsophisticated’ cultures because you offshore your wastefulness and environmental destruction to foreign lands via overwhelming resource extraction and exploitation. Be proud of your ability for violence and cruelty but do not ever confuse it for ingenuity or virtue.
You’ve shown the world this works at scale? You have destroyed the world environment while maintaining these contradictions, that’s all you have shown the world.
Wow I’m so glad hexbear refederated
I’m not sure where you’re getting the idea that I think the UK is a green paradise. It is far (far) from it, but I see initiatives like our fleet of wind turbines and I see figures like 40% and I can’t help but feel proud.
Celebrate the small victories in life, otherwise the weight of the world will literally consume any sense of gentle good you might have
with no research and 0 sources I can confidently say you can thank China for this, someone’s out there making solar and wind actually affordable and cost effective and I can guarantee you it’s not the west
For wind I think you’re looking more towards the Danes. You don’t ship wind turbines and blades from China.
Solar, yes.
airplane
I’m not by any means patriotic
Clearly ;)
England is beautiful above the clouds. And then you descend into the grey and… well it’s still beautiful under the grey and dreary sky, but in a different way
Very well said
I think you misinterpreted the comment.
Airplane is American. Over here it’s Aeroplane.
and that’s the thing with Gatwick, they always try and walk it in
What happen when the rest of the world no longer needs our oil after we go all in on oil production again?
There’s a reason the US, Russia are so powerful and the middle east is so volatile (it’s not religion). Why do you think it’s been so hard to get the world of oil?
More energy independence across the globe. Diminished superpower influence. Diminish interest in the middle east.
Big boy tears and tariffs.
Lol, thanks
Here’s the source since OP didn’t link it for some reason:
https://grid.iamkate.com/Some good news
Was curious about how power reaches the continent. This article explains it: https://www.ft.com/content/517f2786-2acf-4d28-9dc7-fc5db835479e
Also, interesting that battery storage doesn’t even register.
Electrochemical batteries smooth out spikes more than anything else, but they do it really well and reduce the strain on other parts of the system.
“Storage” takes many forms though.
I believe most storage, in the UK is pumped hydro. It’s by far the most cost efficient method. Unfortunately it’s also limited by terrain, so we are mostly maxed out on it already, without significant environmental damage.
Great job UK!
