Delusional Davey

As if we needed any confirmation of it, Ed Davey has given a speech in which he has confirmed that he has lost all grip on reality. Yes, he has been discussing with National Grid whether they will be able to cope when England win the World Cup next month.

I can announce today, that I have spoken to National Grid about England winning the World Cup.

And I can report that National Grid have assured me that the UK has enough electricity generating capacity ready to meet any World Cup spike – through the group stages and beyond.

So if Stevie Gerrard lifts the World Cup, Britain’s lights – and televisions - will stay on.

We're doomed, I tell you, doomed.

Comments

[Richard Drake]

Private Frazer - the essential World Cup pundit left out by all the mainstream broadcasters and our ever-hopeful secretary of state. :)

[Athelstan.]

Blackouts cause death.

A major power outage in July, though it would be extremely serious for some - would at least be bearable for most and perhaps focus minds on the forthcoming nightmare of regular, and probably prolonged outages during the winter months.

A first world - third world disaster is imminent, winter death rates, a major influenza outbreak [things happen in twos and threes] hospitals are at full capacity now.

Thank the EU, thank Ed Miliband, thank the Tories and Ed Davey.

[Capell]

Actually, Ed is for once asking the right question. It's not so much demand level as amount of spinning reserve/fast response that will be his main concern. Just hope it isn't too windy on the day, 'cos

more wind on producing high load means more variation in wind power
(ancient proverb)

Dinorwig will make a mint.

[Joe Public]

Cart before horse.

Davey would have wasted less effort all round if he'd asked the Sports Minister if we'd win the World Cup.

[Spartacusisfree]

He'd definitely win the World Individual cup for the politicians with greatest delusional stupidity.

[Martyn]

Italy 4 England 0... Cheers Eddey

[Richard Tol]

Would Davey know that electricity demand, and thus the probability of a black-out, in the UK peaks in the week before Christmas?

[Capell]

It isn't the level of demand that matters in this case, but the rate of change of demand. Have we got enough rapid response plant to meet the changes, especially now that we have a lot of generation on the grid that has little or no electrical inertia (solar panels have none whatsoever)? This will be 'interesting'.

Good old Ed's got it in charge though, so we can relax . . .

[Derek Sorensen]

Nothing new here, really. If there's a wedding on Coronation Street the generators need to know about it, so they can be primed to supply the extra power for all those kettles boiling during the adverts. An England World Cup win - or even getting to the final - would keep the lights and other appliances on a lot later into the evening, so it's sensible to prepare for it (although in practice they'd be looking at demand the day, morning, or even the hours before the game).

I'm no fan of the UK's energy strategy, but this is just the usual kind of contingency planning.

[geoffchambers]

You have to read the whole thing to get the flavour. There are whole paragraphs which read:

Especially electricity.

And

Less investment for our economy.

OK, it's a speech, but if you talk like that , you end up thinking like that, and so we end up being ruled by people whose minds go:

Energy policy, boring.
World cup, fun.
Talk about football.
Football interesting.
Me, Minister.
You, voter.
Him, flat-earth oil-funded conspiracy theorist.

[sHx]

He is basking the grid in the reflected glory of the tiny possibility of England hosting AND winning the world cup years ahead of the event. He won't be around by then of course. He speaks for the moment.

[sHx]

Oh well. I think I got something mixed up there. Talk about delusions. How is everyone anyway?