3 thoughts on “Europe switches back to coal as power demand slumps; Natgas too expensive”
All industry requires cheap energy. To power economic development, the UK should adopt a stratergy that will produce reliable energy at the lowest cost.
Coal without carbon capture would be a good start. At the same time, fracking should be encouraged not necessarily with tax breaks (after all exploration is always a cost that can be written down against income) but rather by making it clear that if successful, the UK will build some gas powered generators (which do not need carbon capture). In the long run this would do more to reduce CO2 emissions than building windfarms which in any event also require conventional backup but which backup produces more CO2 than normal snce it is run not at peak efficiency mode. This would create some real jobs and ones which are sustainable. Further, reducing energy prices would put more money in the pockets of consumers thereby helping a consumer led recoovery. All in all a win win situation.
Yet Europe has fracking potential, which would help lower the price of methane. And if Europe’s governments would quit strangling their economies, the demand for gas would go up.
Meanwhile braindead politicians in the UK are closing most it’s coal plants and converting a few to wood chips imported from the US.
Dicot A closes this Friday, 2GW production gone forever, at this moment in time the UK is using about 40GW. So about a 5% loss of capacity.
All industry requires cheap energy. To power economic development, the UK should adopt a stratergy that will produce reliable energy at the lowest cost.
Coal without carbon capture would be a good start. At the same time, fracking should be encouraged not necessarily with tax breaks (after all exploration is always a cost that can be written down against income) but rather by making it clear that if successful, the UK will build some gas powered generators (which do not need carbon capture). In the long run this would do more to reduce CO2 emissions than building windfarms which in any event also require conventional backup but which backup produces more CO2 than normal snce it is run not at peak efficiency mode. This would create some real jobs and ones which are sustainable. Further, reducing energy prices would put more money in the pockets of consumers thereby helping a consumer led recoovery. All in all a win win situation.
Yet Europe has fracking potential, which would help lower the price of methane. And if Europe’s governments would quit strangling their economies, the demand for gas would go up.
Meanwhile braindead politicians in the UK are closing most it’s coal plants and converting a few to wood chips imported from the US.
Dicot A closes this Friday, 2GW production gone forever, at this moment in time the UK is using about 40GW. So about a 5% loss of capacity.
http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/10290695.Didcot_A__Countdown_to_power_shutdown_begins/