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Energy futures
The Scientific Alliance says the UK is coming to a crunch time where politicians will have to make hard decisions about energy security and stop simply setting unachievable targets for reduced energy use. Reality can no longer be avoided
The UK in many ways represents a microcosm of the issues surrounding the future of energy generation and use. It still has a significant nuclear generation capacity and the government has in recent years become enthusiastic about replacing the stations as they are decommissioned, plus expanding capacity in the longer term. However, the process is moving slowly and only EDF looks likely to be in a position to make the investment.
There has been great enthusiasm for wind power (at least officially), but the less expensive but generally less efficient on-shore turbines have become increasingly unpopular with large swathes of the public. There is now more attention on off-shore generation, but this is a more expensive option and still needs the backup of conventional generators running on standby.
Unlike Germany, which introduced generous feed-in tariffs to encourage solar power, the UK government has provided little incentive for micro-generation of any sort, and the few enthusiasts who do install systems have to face the fact that they are highly unlikely to recoup their investment.
This week, plans for a massive barrage across the Severn estuary to generate up to 5% of the country's total electricity needs were in the news once more, but this is vehemently opposed by a number of conservation and environmentalist groups. In the short term, the government has little choice but to allow the building of more coal- and gas-fired stations while we inch painfully slowly towards the next generation of nuclear stations.
Road pricing has also been much in the news as a means to limit car use, mainly by introducing "congestion" charging as originally done in London. However, despite the cost, there has been little long-term reduction in traffic flows, and Manchester and other cities are likely to find the same. People need to travel, and trying to price them off the roads has little effect.
In most countries, similar difficult positions have been reached. In Germany, for example, the commitment to phasing out nuclear power is being questioned, and the earlier enthusiasm for wind power has faded to some extent. In all countries, the high cost of oil will do little to reduce energy use, either in the home or for transport.
The UK is coming to a crunch time where politicians will have to make hard decisions about energy security and stop simply setting unachievable targets for reduced energy use. Reality can no longer be avoided
