Tuesday
May132014
by 
Bishop Hill
Bishop Hill Never mind the car crash
May 13, 2014 Climate: Parliament Energy: solar UK energy policy may be, in the words of Dieter Helm, a slow-motion car-crash, but Ed Davey and the environmentalists who surround him at DECC are not particularly bothered. Today they have announced minor changes to the market-fixing regime for solar PV, with a proposal to close the Renewables Obligation boondoggle, but only to new solar schemes, and then only very large ones, and then only from next year.
"Oh Lord", those at DECC seem to say, "give me the strength to stop the corruption, the fleecing of the poor, and the lining of the pockets of the rich".
But not completely.
And not yet.
Reader Comments (13)
In the past, when they've tried to make quick changes to the subsidies, they've been taken through the courts and told to delay the changes. Once bitten..?
That Frenchman Thomas Piketty has failed to notice the impact of get-quick-rich schemes like this on the relative wealth of the rich and the poor. He assumes that the returns on investment are simply higher than the rate of growth, and therefore money naturally accumulates to the rich. He ignores that the rich don't pay the subsidies that the poor do for schemes like this, or windfarms. They benefit from them. Perhaps one of the biggest transfers of wealth since the Enclosures.
This is DECC's fantasy world. Where is the value for money for consumers in all this hugely subsidised and useless renewable energy? How can they think that intermittent wind and solar are providing "secure energy and " value for money for energy bill-payers"?
DECC use a newspeak language where things mean the opposite of the normal definition.
Saint Paul?
Philip Bratby - don't know what you're talking about.
Why - as I write, wind is providing a hefty 0.31GW of power - or around 5% of installed wind capacity - 0.8% of (current modest) demand...
Are you suggesting that this isn't 'value for money' - or is not delivering 'secure and reliable' energy..?
Clearly, you are not a politician...
LevelGaze: No, St Augustine of Hippo. Some would say you were close; I would say almost polar opposite. But that's a debate for another day and probably another forum!
Ha ha ha, Barker and Davey?
Watch them slap the subsidies back on after 2015, they must think we were born yesterday.
Lord, make me chaste,...but not yet.
Augustine.
You would think when they set up these schemes they would assign a pot of money, and when the money runs out the scheme stops, but no they over subsidise and they go all 'surprised' when its so popular. Dumb idiots but then its not their money they are being dumb with ;) so who are the idiots.
In modern parlance, they are called NODAMs: NO Developments After Mine
c777, you expect to see any libdems left after 2015? I don't.
Plus...this money doesn't exist, it has to be borrowed.
For those who are getting biblical, take a look at James 2:17: “[…] faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” Perhaps that should be pinned to the foreheads of those alarmists who talk the talk, yet still buy beach properties, jet around the world, and ride around in SUVs.