Thursday
Mar192015
by 
Bishop Hill
Bishop Hill Walport: energy security is paramount
Mar 19, 2015 Energy: grid Walport Launching the Institute of Chemical Engineers' new energy centre this morning, Sir Mark Walport has apparently said that:
...security of energy supply is paramount.
It was just a year ago that I noted that Walport had described the climate/energy policy as needing to be viewed through multiple lenses - of energy security, climate change, pricing and fuel poverty, and so on. Security was the first of these, but I wonder if we are now seeing a further subtle shift.
Reader Comments (12)
You are probably right. I believe even the politicians are waking up to the fact that fossil fuels are not going to disappear anytime soon that keeping the lights on is a priority. The factor which no one seems to mention is the Russian bear starting to get fidgety, and the fact that security of energy is de facto the most important issue of all. Wait until after the election.
What? Energy security? I thought that the top priority was to save the plannit by all going to live in yurts. /sarc
That has always been the case as demonstrated by the very existence of STOR.
If it comes to the crunch our politicos and their officers will say stuff the environment, sod climate change use any fuel available to keep the lights on. They will not bat an eyelid at using dirty, CO2 producing fuel if it keeps the philistines from their door.
Focus groups saw votes in being "green" but our elite are not thick. They are quite aware that a lights out will bring a very swift end to their boondoggle!
By 'energy security' he probably means putting the army and police on guard around the useless and costly wind turbines in case the disgruntled populace take things into their own hands to turn the darn things ploughshares. I'm sure he knows that the people know that it's all a con. And if the government are going to go nap on the Leeds Uni's latest report about proxy CO2 emissions (pollution, they say, ffs!) and bring forward the date of the reduced emissions target, as the report suggests, they will need all the security they can get.
I wouldn't read too much into it - simply a statement tailored to the audience. Would he be saying the same thing to an audience of Greenpeace representatives?
I really don't think our politicians have the foggiest idea about what would happen in a prolonged electricity outage.
('Electricity comes out of 13A sockets, doesn't it..? Don't see a problem...')
'Energy security is paramount...' You bet your sweet bippy it is....!
Seeing as STOR hasn't been used in anger yet, and the duty cycle is likely to be pretty low even when they are, I imagine that we (via the energy companies) are paying a hefty rental fee. You'd think a newspaper might want to explore that kind of thing...
jamesp - Newspapers USED to explore that kind of thing - but they've pretty much all been indoctrinated along with the politicians...
sherlock
"the foggiest idea"
I'm sure you're right. In a way, I'd like to see it, but the collateral damage would be seriously unpleasant and would affect too many non-politicians.
I sincerely hope that this is the start of a change in IChemE policy. As a Fellow (retired) I have repeatedly posted on BH that IChemE (like the RS) has been hijacked by the warmists - evidenced especially through the editorial team of its organ The Chemical Engineer.
Vernon E - I have the same problem with my mechanical engineering 'trade' organ, Professional Engineer - even tried writing a letter for publication, but - guess what..? It didn't see the light of day..
URGENT..!
The solar eclipse is going to reduce the output from solar farms..!
What are we to do..??