The key conclusions from the report by the Centre for Policy Studies (CPS) include that:
• Interconnector capacity will almost quadruple by 2030, allowing 20% of UK electricity to be imported from Europe.
• Interconnectors can be a useful way of delivering secure and cheap supplies across Europe, given they can be used to import and export. But in Britain’s case it is increasingly one-way traffic. In the 12 months to March 2017, the UK imported 17.22 TWh but only exported 2.78 TWh.
• There are concerns about growing reliance on imported electricity from Europe as surplus supplies there decline. This is particularly the case in light of the German elections. Germany is already decommissioning its nuclear plants. If the Greens form part of the governing coalition, as is likely, they will demand the closure of fossil-fuel plants.
• The more reliant Britain becomes on energy imported from Europe, the more vulnerable we become to disruptions in supply, to sudden price spikes, or a wider tightening of capacity which pushes up prices. (This is already set to happen.)
• This imported electricity also has an unfair competitive advantage, as it is not subject to the GB Carbon Price Floor or transmission charges faced by British generators.
• Indeed, rather than cutting carbon emissions, Britain is to some extent “offshoring” them – closing down our own coal fired power plants but continuing to buy energy from Europe which is likely to have come from plants of the same type.
All in all our electricity supply appears to be dodgy to say the least. All this is going to rebound on the government, pushing voters into the arms of our very left-wing Labour Party led by Jeremy Corbyn, which is another looming disaster that could have been avoided.
• Interconnector capacity will almost quadruple by 2030, allowing 20% of UK electricity to be imported from Europe.
• Interconnectors can be a useful way of delivering secure and cheap supplies across Europe, given they can be used to import and export. But in Britain’s case it is increasingly one-way traffic. In the 12 months to March 2017, the UK imported 17.22 TWh but only exported 2.78 TWh.
• There are concerns about growing reliance on imported electricity from Europe as surplus supplies there decline. This is particularly the case in light of the German elections. Germany is already decommissioning its nuclear plants. If the Greens form part of the governing coalition, as is likely, they will demand the closure of fossil-fuel plants.
• The more reliant Britain becomes on energy imported from Europe, the more vulnerable we become to disruptions in supply, to sudden price spikes, or a wider tightening of capacity which pushes up prices. (This is already set to happen.)
• This imported electricity also has an unfair competitive advantage, as it is not subject to the GB Carbon Price Floor or transmission charges faced by British generators.
• Indeed, rather than cutting carbon emissions, Britain is to some extent “offshoring” them – closing down our own coal fired power plants but continuing to buy energy from Europe which is likely to have come from plants of the same type.
All in all our electricity supply appears to be dodgy to say the least. All this is going to rebound on the government, pushing voters into the arms of our very left-wing Labour Party led by Jeremy Corbyn, which is another looming disaster that could have been avoided.
Sounds as if Britain is going the same way Australia has gone. Be ready for blackouts !!!!! These complete idiots who govern us should be hung from Parliament as a example to anyone else with similar stupid ideas.
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