Grid Companies Bracing For Power Cuts

From NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT

By Paul Homewood

 The Grid companies now seem to be getting serious about the risk of blackouts this winter.

I got this today:

To simply use “bad weather” as an excuse is just silly. We have bad weather every year, and we often experience blackouts for short periods for all sorts of reasons.

They are an annoyance but nothing more. The telly goes off along with the computer. But the worst thing is next door’s alarm going off!

But we don’t get these well coordinated warnings.

But clearly these minor events are not what Northern Powergrid have in mind. Instead it appears they are worried about major outages when we simply don’t have enough power to go round.

I wonder why?

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Eng_Ian
November 1, 2024 2:05 am

Windmills and solar work well when everything is just right.

Unfortunately, we need electrical power all day, every day. Without it, we’re stone age.

StephenP
Reply to  Eng_Ian
November 1, 2024 10:47 am

Agreed. At present in the UK wind is providing just 1.77 GW, 5% of demand, 36.83 GW and the sun has gone down. We are importing 16% of our electricity.
Roll on winter!

StephenP
Reply to  StephenP
November 1, 2024 11:35 am

Now wind is down to 4%

November 1, 2024 2:24 am

So you say they are not uncommon. And they just issue a warning this time. For things that happened in the past.

Start your conspiracy-engines gentlemen, time for some unsupported fearmongering.

But clearly these minor events are not what Northern Powergrid have in mind.

Glad you can read minds, because otherwise I would have felt the need to ask how someone without education in energy technologies or systems comes to the “we don’t have enough power” conclusion.

HB
Reply to  MyUsername
November 1, 2024 3:12 am

Grow up you idiot people will die because of this

Reply to  HB
November 1, 2024 3:19 am

Hey, it worked. Congratulations Paul.

Reply to  MyUsername
November 1, 2024 4:28 am

Not one thing you have said in this thread has any substance or common sense whatsoever.

They are just moronically dumb comments.

Scissor
Reply to  bnice2000
November 1, 2024 4:45 am

Without a doubt, MyUsername is a useful idiot.

Reply to  Scissor
November 1, 2024 7:44 am

More like a useless tool.

abolition man
Reply to  bnice2000
November 1, 2024 5:14 am

Total rectal/cranial inversion!

Reply to  bnice2000
November 1, 2024 5:30 am

The article needs more substance beside a screenshot and wild speculation.

Idle Eric
Reply to  MyUsername
November 1, 2024 8:22 am

Maybe someone should start a website to explain the utter insanity of trying to run a first world economy on intermittent power sources, What’s Up With Something perhaps?

Sparta Nova 4
Reply to  MyUsername
November 1, 2024 8:55 am

So get busy and write one. Let us see how well you do.

Reply to  MyUsername
November 1, 2024 11:01 am

WUWT allows anyone to submit an article.

My guess is your inane ramblings wouldn’t pass muster, but, hey, you never know.

Reply to  MyUsername
November 1, 2024 12:48 pm

Your comments need more substance than a wipe of your nose snot.

But that is all you are capable of.

MiloCrabtree
Reply to  MyUsername
November 1, 2024 3:44 am

Get lost and find another discussion to infect, smelly troll.

Reply to  MiloCrabtree
November 1, 2024 7:47 am

^^^ 1000+

strativarius
Reply to  MyUsername
November 1, 2024 3:47 am

What do you know?

Nothing.

Wind-up merchants rarely do.

Reply to  MyUsername
November 1, 2024 3:57 am

Luser has been watching too much of the Kamal.

Mindless, vacuous and meaningless word-salad is becoming its normal mode of posting.

strativarius
Reply to  bnice2000
November 1, 2024 4:17 am

Sesame street stuff that he/she/it can understand…

“”“So, Ukraine is a country in Europe.” “It exists next to another country called Russia, Russia is a bigger country. Russia is a powerful country. Russia decided to invade a smaller country called Ukraine. So, basically, that’s wrong, and it goes against everything that we stand for.”””

Brought to you by the letters U and R and the number 0 (IQ).

Reply to  strativarius
November 1, 2024 5:53 am

I admit I don’t understand what you want to tell us with your post.

strativarius
Reply to  MyUsername
November 1, 2024 5:55 am

Blame your [lack of] educashun. You appear to be in a minority of one.

Reply to  strativarius
November 1, 2024 6:04 am

Well, thanks for explaining it, I guess?

strativarius
Reply to  MyUsername
November 1, 2024 6:10 am

Why not get yourself clued-up?

Try starting with Sesame Street and take it from there…

Reply to  MyUsername
November 1, 2024 12:50 pm

Yes, we know Sesame Street is way above your intellectual capacity.

CD in Wisconsin
Reply to  Jim Gorman
November 1, 2024 7:07 am

ROFLMAO. Love it.

CD in Wisconsin
Reply to  MyUsername
November 1, 2024 7:40 am

MUN,

The UK is spending all this money to lower emissions (with wind and solar) when it only contributes just 1% (0.94% to be exact) of global CO2 emissions according to Our World in Data (scroll down to 4th graph)…..

https://ourworldindata.org/co2/country/united-kingdom

India’s and China’s increasing annual emissions wipe out the UK’s efforts at lowering emissions in what I would guess is a very short time. LOL.

CD in Wisconsin
Reply to  CD in Wisconsin
November 1, 2024 8:55 am

Correction: scroll down to 6th graph.

Mr.
Reply to  MyUsername
November 1, 2024 10:03 am

time for some unsupported fearmongering

You need to include a link to the BBC and/or the IPCC when you post these kinds of statements.

Reply to  Mr.
November 1, 2024 10:59 am

The author didn’t bother with a source for his “no power” claim. So unsupported fearmongering.

Reply to  MyUsername
November 1, 2024 12:01 pm

The source was at the top of the page, this was a copy of a mailing. The mailer was Northern Power. Perhaps you should read the post carefully before opening your yap.

Reply to  Nansar07
November 1, 2024 12:48 pm

They talk about damage to the network, not about having not enough power. That’s an invention from Mr. Homewood. Without a source.

But clearly these minor events are not what Northern Powergrid have in mind. Instead it appears they are worried about major outages when we simply don’t have enough power to go round.

See?

Reply to  MyUsername
November 1, 2024 5:13 pm

No, It is not an invention.

Even with large amounts of GAS powered electricity UK grid DOES NOT have enough capacity for a high demand period if wind and solar are near zero.. which can easily happen.

This is obvious from the huge amount of imports into the UK from RELIABLE supply sources like nuclear, hydro and COAL.

Reply to  MyUsername
November 1, 2024 12:53 pm

How much power is created from wind and solar on a still night, luser ?

Or on a still overcast day for that matter ?

Ron Long
November 1, 2024 3:19 am

Step 1: tie all electricity production and consumption areas together in a grid, Step 2: waste billions of pounds, dollars, Euros, etc on Net Stupid unreliable energy sources, Step 3: when the grid collapses during a snowstorm, convert emergency heating to burning buffalo chips (or dried horseschist, which is available in congressional centers everywhere). Human evolution has stalled.

strativarius
November 1, 2024 3:38 am

Don’t you just love it when they try to teach their grandmother how to suck eggs? But then, I suppose quite a few have grown up without having experienced any power cuts, let alone a three day week.

The CCC has just issued the call to arms to beat down emissions even harder and faster. Red Ed Miliband is the man to deliver… But even that isn’t enough for the darker greens.

“”Paul Johnson, the director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, tweeted: “For goodness sake. Despite big tax rises overall, the chancellor has done it again. Fuel duty frozen and ‘temporary’ 5p cut kept. This government is supposed to care about climate change.”” 
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/oct/30/reeves-green-chancellor-budget-climate-environment

Apparently, we haven’t been clobbered enough.

“”Ed Miliband’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero came out of things well, with a 35% capital uplift and a new investment rule that will allow money to pour into renewable energy projects.””

Pass the vodka.

strativarius
November 1, 2024 3:45 am

Can you run an Underground transit system on solar panels? Is it worth the dosh?

Transport for London (TfL) plans to build giant solar farms to power the capital’s Tube trains, with leafy commuter towns at the end of its underground lines likely to host the new net zero infrastructure.

Bam
The solar farm plan is part of this wider scheme and would see a network of solar farms initially providing around 5pc of the power needed. 
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2024/11/01/sadiq-khan-tfl-plots-build-solar-farms-london-leafy-suburbs/

London is desperately short of [new] housing

https://www.londoncouncils.gov.uk/news-and-press-releases/2024/londons-housing-crisis-threatens-break-borough-budgets-amid-ps700m

That land should be used for housing, not virtue signalling at huge expense for naff all return. But this where the elites are.

Reply to  strativarius
November 1, 2024 7:50 am

Five percent! THIS IS YUGE!

auto
Reply to  strativarius
November 3, 2024 6:39 am

I think the Great Khan – ordinary mayor of London, not the Lord Mayor of the City of London – is looking at greenfield sites, probably ‘near’ the ends of the more wide-ranging tube lines, so Central, Metropolitan, maybe Piccadilly lines.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cje0vde5x51o
It’s the BBC, so it simply MUST be true. Obviously.
In 2014, this question was raised: –
https://www.london.gov.uk/who-we-are/what-london-assembly-does/questions-mayor/find-an-answer/tfl-estate-energy-costs-savings-solar-pv-deployment
Thus –
“TfL Estate – energy costs savings from solar PV deployment
“Has TfL carried out an assessment of the potential electricity cost savings of solar PV deployment on the TfL estate, taking into account direct generation and revenue earned from the Feed-in-Tariff?
“Answer Date: Monday 22 December 2014
“In 2011 London Underground carried out a tender process to develop a framework for the deployment of solar PV. However, it was at this time that the Government significantly reduced the Feed In Tariffs, meaning the project was no longer financially viable. The relatively high capital costs mean that any project is heavily dependent on the level of Feed-In-Tariff available as savings from direct generation are not sufficient.
“In 2014 the Department of Energy and Climate Change released several consultations and an updated strategy looking at solar PV deployment. Their stated intent is to encourage more commercial roof generation (such as that available on the TfL estate) through increased support from Feed-In-Tariffs. These developments are being monitored to understand how they can increase the opportunity for the deployment of solar PV.”
My bold.
So, it looks as if, ten years later, if TfL foes for solar, it’ll be because we taxpayers are generously [if not voluntarily] contributing our money for it.

Auto – colour me astonished that yet another boondoggle has been invented by Socialists, keen to spend other peoples’ money.

November 1, 2024 3:47 am

I just read Northern Powergrid’s “About Us” page. It makes clear they don’t give a stuff about anything except the wires. As long as they provide continuity it’s job done. They imply it is up to someone else to energise the grid. Which is fair enough IMO.

If you want to fret about something, maybe fret about how much of their time and money they might be devoting to something other than their primary mission, as hinted at by the wildly unrepresentative image they chose to illustrate their region.

strativarius
Reply to  quelgeek
November 1, 2024 3:55 am

Don’t fret… go to level 9; I have.

Scissor
Reply to  strativarius
November 1, 2024 4:51 am

+ 1 for Level 9.

Reply to  quelgeek
November 1, 2024 4:42 am

“They imply it is up to someone else to energise the grid.”

Maybe it would be better if power systems go back to vertical integration. Then make them fully responsible for failures- no more passing the buck.

auto
Reply to  Joseph Zorzin
November 3, 2024 6:47 am

In the UK, passing the buck is our National Sport.
It is probably forty years since anyone took responsibility for anything in Public Life [Lord Carrington resigned as Foreign Secretary, in 1982, after the Argentine invasion of the Falkland Islands].
Examples: –
Child sexual abuse, Rotherham, Rochdale, etc ad nauseum probably hundreds of perpetrators – reporting, prevention, cover-up{?} prosecution.
Grenfell Tower Fire – flammable cladding [why retrofit?]
Post Office Horizon [& other systems??] miscarriage of justice – 700+ lives ruined.
Medical scandals
–         Covid; lock-ups [education, and commerce]; 2m; Ivermectin & hydrochloroquine; etc.
–         Maternity – Cumbria, Nottingham, East Kent [Ashford], L. Letby, etc.
–         Contaminated [US] Bloods
–         Surgeons – Paterson, Jabbar, etc.
–         Infection cover-up – QEUH, etc.
–         Opiate poisoning – Gosport War Memorial Hospital
Migration – loss of control; glacial processing; treatment of the Windrush generation; concealing numbers.
Energy Security – no pilots, no cost-benefit analysis … blackouts
Insulation – cowboy contractors … damp & mould
Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme [NI]
Claimed ‘killing’ of negative net zero stories
Dithering over SMRs
DESNZ at October 2024, has nobody with a physics background, 1 scientist, top.
Met. Police – Casey Review; rapist officers; vetting; corruption over decades.
Transport – train fares prosecutions dropped; HS2 corruption [and indolence?]; contracts for road [M’way] upgrades – so slo-o-o-ow; Lower Thames Xing
Water – sewage in rivers; PSBs in Wales; No reservoirs; Watercos ‘unregulated’… divis paid from loans.
Local Government – bankruptcies – Croydon [the Penn report], Thurrock, Woking, Birmingham etc.
Procurement: –
               [Almost] Anything thru the MOD – Warrior, TSR2, Aircraft Carriers;
[Almost] Anything through the Public Private Finance Initiative – ongoing costs skyrocket
               Scottish Ferries; Glen Sannox + Glen Rosa;
               Covid – tests, PPE
IT – NHS system[s], Post Office, DHSS, etc.

I expect other UK-based readers could add more. Sadly.

Auto

abolition man
November 1, 2024 5:03 am

Whoa, now! Nothing to see here!
Y’all should know that Commiefornia Chairman Gruesome Newsome issued an executive order two days ago, instructing the CPUC to find ways to lower utility costs! That should fix everything!!
After their search for the once mythical trove of rainbows and unicorns has also succeeded in finding the lower priced Ruinable Energy systems of which we have so often been told, the beleaguered citizens of the late, great, Golden State will find their futility bills falling like houses off of a geologically suspect coastal bluff!
Like England, Spain, and Germany, who have also shuttered reliable gas, coal and/or nuclear generating plants; Commiefornia has been experiencing some of their highest utility bills evah!! It is good to see the state government finally getting involved in the process. Now the excessive profits will be curtailed, like a PV system at dusk; and the wealthy billionaires gaming the process will be pushed back into the smoke filled Capital offices where they belong! It’s as good as done!
Sarcasm: OFF!

Reply to  abolition man
November 1, 2024 7:51 am

This after making over-the-road diesel truck transport illegal.

Way to go, dood!

Sparta Nova 4
November 1, 2024 5:16 am

Be careful about what kinds of power packs you put in your emergency bag.
Lithium batteries cause fires.

November 1, 2024 5:56 am

But, but, but, let us not forget the sacrifices our fellow humans in the UK are enduring for the sake of humanity. These stalwarts are making the climate better by making it colder.

Hip, hip ……. Hooray

c1ue
November 1, 2024 7:51 am

Wind and solar PV is one reason, but IMO not the primary reason. The primary reason is the expansion of the PG&E model: rather than invest to maintain sufficient generation – both primary and peak – PG&E pioneered the model where the utility company pushes demand reduction on the consumer side ranging from tiered pricing to rebates for “energy efficient” appliances, to the occasional $40 million campaign to get themselves cemented in using a California ballot measure.
The wind and solar PV are a big factor, don’t get me wrong, but it is the undermaintenance and underinvestment of dispatchable that is the blackout problem. Note PG & E generates a relatively small percentage of its electricity from wind and solar PV in California.
PG & E most recently pioneered the practice of simply cutting power to low density rural/forested areas as their way of managing fire risk rather than paying to clear trees encroaching on power lines, replacing their almost literally century old transmission towers/lines, etc etc.

missoulamike
Reply to  c1ue
November 2, 2024 2:19 am

Well they clearly don’t push back with the morons on the PSC.

observa
November 1, 2024 8:19 am

When it’s blizzard season outside and the power goes off you rush outside with your grab bag and blanket? Right got it.