So for most of this week gas has been providing over 50% of the country’s electricity. And Labour say they are going to “decarbonise” the grid by 2030. I have a lot of sympathy for the idea that climate change makes that desirable but you have to be honest and say you are ok with power cuts on cold days and people dying as a result. While not actually making much difference to the world’s carbon emissions.
I don't think that's true. The issue is lack of will. Building the Severn Barrage would cover 7% of UK demand. The Swansea Bay tidal lagoon another 2%. Most of our hydroelectric output was built 60 years ago, so much more potential there.
Two more nuclear power stations, one in Derby, one in Leicester, and we're good to go.
None of that is happening in the next 5 years though.
There’s a clip that gets shared quite often of Nick Clegg talking about nuclear power, in 2010ish, saying there wasn’t any point building new capacity as it wouldn’t be online until 2022.
Ok, if they are aspiring to decarbonise the grid by 2030, what other capacity do they intend to build by then? Should be starting imminently. Or is it just vague nice sounding waffle?
It seems you only support things that will have immediate impact yet mock a politician for doing the same thing 15 years ago.
It is a key reason why we are where we are, people want immediate fixes to complex, chronic problems. And we are not prepared to have an informed, mature conversation.
You misunderstand me. What I want is for Labour to have a realistic target for when they will decarbonise (which is a desirable and probably inevitable end point) and a plan for how it’s going to happen.
At the moment they have an unrealistic target and no plan.