Ed Davey has announced a further expansion of the government's renewable energy scheme, with eight new projects unveiled, blanketing the UK's waters with wind turbines. These projects are apparently so enormous that they will, on their own, produce a noticeable rise in household electricity bills of some 2%. The rise in industrial electricity prices that will result and which must also be absorbed by consumers - something like the same amount again - goes unstated.
Interestingly, the argument that renewables are cheap have gone out of the window. Instead, with Ukraine in the news on a daily basis, Davey is emphasising energy security:
Mr Davey defended the cost, arguing that these kind of low-carbon projects were essential to boost energy security and battle climate change.
“I see the climate change debate as inextricably linked with energy security. If we can reduce our dependency on imported energy, it will make us both more secure but also enable us to tackle climate change,” he said.
If we get a cold winter it's possible the lights could start going out. I wonder what Mr Davey's explanation will be then?
To provide security against the possibility of power cuts we had to destroy the grid.
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