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« Democracy poll toll - Josh 369 | Main | Ward off - Josh 367 »
Friday
Apr152016

Money to burn - Josh 368

Lots of news about renewables, especially wind and solar, feeling the sharp stab of economic reality and the burn of bankrupcy - see SunEdison, German renewables, more SunEdisonDutch wind and British green blundering - all via The GWPF.

This would be cheery news if governments hadn't wasted so much taxpayers cash on such pointless policies in the first place.

Cartoons by Josh

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Reader Comments (62)

Josh. You are spoiling us.

Apr 15, 2016 at 6:05 PM | Unregistered CommenterAlan Kendall

It's all systems go in the Buckfast (sorry renewables) capital of Europe


"Could Glasgow become Scotland’s biggest power station?

The cost of installing photovoltaic solar panels is falling so fast it is estimated that 20 per cent of global electricity could be met by solar by 2027, rather than 16 per cent by 2050 as was previously thought."


Read more: http://www.scotsman.com/business/companies/energy/could-glasgow-become-scotland-s-biggest-power-station-1-4100482#ixzz45uyNYavQ


They always lie. It's what they do.

Apr 15, 2016 at 6:43 PM | Unregistered Commenteresmiff

I don't know why they are always referred to as pointless policies. They've been extremely pointed and effective at what they're meant to do - transfer wealth from the poor to the rich and enrich politicians and their corporate cronies.

Apr 15, 2016 at 7:01 PM | Unregistered CommenterPhil R

Coal is also on the ropes, in Western countries at least.
http://www.powerengineeringint.com/articles/2016/04/world-s-largest-coal-company-files-for-bankruptcy.html

Apr 15, 2016 at 7:10 PM | Unregistered Commenteroldbrew

To repeat what I have posted on a Discussion thread: with regard to how the wind industry is going to save the world (by destroying it – with the active support of Greenpi$$, Fo€, etc.), here is an interesting comment on an article in The Scotsman (http://www.scotsman.com/news/wind-farm-fund-looks-to-raise-315m-1-4100155):

A RECORD FOR THE WIND INDUSTRY?
Despite:
Over 5,000,000 trees felled to make room,
Hundreds of miles of bulldozed tracks,
Our finest landscapes trashed by multinationals,
Giant pylons scarring our beautiful countryside,
Drumochter Pass completely vandalised,
Thousands of tons of concrete dumped on our fragile upland ecosystems,
Millions of birds and bats needlessly slaughtered,
Wind farms visible from 60% of Scotland,
Tourists deterred by industrialised landscapes,
The highest energy bills in Europe,
Countless millions extorted from the poorest bill payers,
Multinationals and landowners trousering millions,

During our coldest nights so far, when we needed power most,
despite all this, wind's contribution to the National Grid,
to the nearest round figure was -

ZERO!!! (0.15% precisely)
Right now as I write - 0.18% !!!

– GeorgeH_2 (4:47 PM on 14/04/2016)

The sooner this despicable farrago fails, the better.

Apr 15, 2016 at 7:59 PM | Registered CommenterRadical Rodent

Here in Ontario, Canada we will soon have to pay more because we didn't use enough energy this winter:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/hydro-rates-hike-ontario-energy-board-1.3536062

You really can't make this stuff up, can you?

Apr 15, 2016 at 8:40 PM | Unregistered CommenterCaligula Jones

“Coal is also on the ropes, in Western countries at least …”. (oldbrew).
=========================
Peabody’s coal operations are overwhelmingly in the US where they are under pressure due to the shale gas revolution, that’s no surprise, it’s due to an overabundance of affordable fossil fuel energy — hooray.

Apr 15, 2016 at 10:38 PM | Unregistered CommenterChris Hanley

Of course if UK Taxpayers were ever given a choice between reliable and cheaper electricity, or Unreliable and more expensive energy, we would find out if the electorate are stupid. UK politicians work on the assumption we are all stupid, but are not stupid enough to find out if they are wrong.

Apr 15, 2016 at 11:14 PM | Unregistered Commentergolf charlie

With all these bankruptcies afoot, will the Friends of Science commission a Josh billboard celebrating the deflation of Peabody Coal?

Apr 16, 2016 at 1:00 AM | Unregistered CommenterRussell

I referred to global warming as the war against coal some years ago. It's the reason GW Bush said Kyoto was bad for America and why the senate turned it down by a 100% majority. Coal is locally owned and relatively cheap to extract. Something the oil industry doesn't like.


Obama’s “War on Coal” Is Worth Fighting

http://www.newyorker.com/news/john-cassidy/obamas-war-on-coal-is-worth-fighting

Apr 16, 2016 at 1:07 AM | Unregistered Commenteresmiff

vvussell, how does America plan to keep the lights on, and internet running with Unreliable power?

The EU wants to be the United States of Europe, and now the race is on to see whether the EU or USA has civil unrest, fatalities and disturbances due to powercuts first. Sadly, this is a race the EU will probably win, but the USA has always been proud of it's competitive edge.

It seems you will be ecstatic to see the USA fail first. How very patriotic.

Apr 16, 2016 at 1:24 AM | Unregistered Commentergolf charlie

golf charlie:

No here comes the Lithium knight on his white Tesla to 'save' us. Storage is the answer, or at least it is to the gullible and the arithmetically challenged. Once you work out how little electricity they can deliver if you want that optimistic life, and how many the average household would need to cover for the days when the wind doesn't blow in winter anyone with common sense will realise that breeding unicorns would be cheaper. (and that doesn't factor in the need to keep them in temperature controlled, well ventilated storage).
That industry needs twice as much power in large amounts doesn't matter as it will have all migrated to countries where they snigger about dumb occidental gentlemen ( the opposite of WOGs). Everybody will sit in cosy offices passing pieces of paper around. The most urgent will be how they will get paid, because without industry there with be a lot less tax income for Government, and much more unemployment money going out. Much of the service industry will be overseas too, so the Government will have to cut back on public servants, subsidies for all those quangos, councils, charities, art councils, think tanks, public broadcasters etc. In fact just about everyone whose income comes from the Government will find, too late, life becoming very nasty. There's a phrase which eludes my memory, something about a petard.

Apr 16, 2016 at 6:44 AM | Unregistered CommenterGraeme No.3

"vvussell, how does America plan to keep the lights on, and internet running with Unreliable power?"

The bets we've placed on your changing the subject are so enormous that we can afford lithium batteries by the megawatt-hour and Canadian dilbit galore.

Plan B is to feed our thermoelectric generators with remaindered Josh calenders

Apr 16, 2016 at 8:03 AM | Unregistered CommenterRussell

Russell.

Who's the "we" in we've? I need to know in order to sneer/applaud as my mood dictates.

Where can you place such bets and what were the odds?

Apr 16, 2016 at 8:36 AM | Unregistered CommenterAlan Kendall

@Russell: how will the populations of the USA and the EU react when they learn that the massive future death toll in the bitter winters of the imminent new Little Ice Age are because GISS used Science Fraud in 1976 to push the Globalist's (then the Club of Rome) eugenics' programme?

Apr 16, 2016 at 8:43 AM | Unregistered CommenterNCC 1701E

The state of South Australia is a good one to watch to see the likely fate of the UK electricity system:

Maximum demand: 3400 MW
Maximum dispactable supply (from 2018): 2000 MW (closure of coal and very old gas generators)
Maximum interconnector supply: 670 MW

Deficit is 630 MW, wind can meet that, but can also produce ZERO, see here for details:

https://climanrecon.wordpress.com/2016/02/20/south_australia/

Apr 16, 2016 at 9:10 AM | Unregistered CommenterMikky

In the UK we now know, due to too much unreliables and too few despatchables, in winter we won't have enough electricity to meet peak demand and in summer we will have too much electricity (both uncontrollable and embedded). In future children aren't going to know what reliable electricity is and will realise that they are living in a third world country where blackouts are the norm.

The UK energy system has grown without any strategic planning, we now have too much inflexible generating capacity for summer demand and dangerously little reliable capacity for the winter months.

Apr 16, 2016 at 9:42 AM | Registered CommenterPhillip Bratby

The purpose of diffuse renewables is to raise prices.
In this aspect it is very successful.
Renewables therefore have a strategic financial goal.
These renewable firms just follow the logic of state policy as they exist to make money like all firms

There is a interesting but flawed analysis of the Irish wind energy / Ccgt situation over in the Energy matters website.
Again it is flawed as it observes merely the production and not the entire production / consumption system of the island.and encompasses a too short period of time.
To cut a long story short the co2 emission reduced because the electrical production (the product dropped)
We can observe the drop in both fossil fuel inputs and electrical production / consumption occurring about 2008~ source CSO
Tentative signs of increases in both fossil fuel inputs and stabilisation of electrical energy production in 2014.
Electrical production data is available in 2015
Fossil fuel inputs not available officially yet.
But Iea data points toward a increase in fuel inputs in the electricity sector following on from earlier increases in transport inputs post bailout of the scarcity economy in 2010.

I would like to note the increase in Irish consumption is almost certainly not as a result of Irish or indeed Irish resident consumption.
Most probably a result of massive net tourist inflows as a result of global instability.

Apr 16, 2016 at 12:32 PM | Unregistered CommenterThe Dork of Cork

There is little doubt renewables increase efficiency of electrical production.
That is more electricity for a given input of fossil fuel.
However the consumers cannot afford the product.
Creating a collapse of demand.
This is why we see renewables taking a larger % of the electrical consumption pie.
As of Feb 2016 Irish domestic credit continues to contact (Irish central bank figures), now more then half of total maximum of credit has been extracted ( without a distribution of property etc so as to make that society sustainable)
The contraction of Irish credit mirrors the collapse of domestic demand (however flawed)
Again we are seeing a return of electrical demand to 2009 levels but not as a result of domestic consumption.

Ps
A interesting data point.
Sum of all Irish fuel products
Transformation input - public thermal plants.
Ktoe
Y2001 (peak): 5,060
A more or less continued collapse seen up to 2014.
Y2014: 3,397.

The physical economic goal of this policy is to transfer oil inputs into the car / racetrack economy.

Otherwise we would be witnessing diesel consumption again becoming a part of the basic demand economy rather then the current war (full Mobilization) economy.

Apr 16, 2016 at 2:01 PM | Unregistered CommenterThe Dork of Cork

esmiff

The Scotsman article shows a 'carpet bagger' trying to bounce the Glasgow Council into a scam very similar to schemes from the Anthony Trollope book

tps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Way_We_Live_Now

From the Scotsman article

“The next step is building a group of energy and engineering experts in the city, who understand land usage, but also bring in community groups, to develop more detailed proposals.

“Once we have the expertise, we’ll look at forming a limited company.”

In other words they don't yet have any expertise.

In fact the Glasgow Council have an existing scheme which is much more practical and involves using heat pumps to extract heat from flooded old mine workings.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-31506073

Apr 16, 2016 at 2:11 PM | Unregistered CommenterBryan

Obviously it is overcast where the Dork resides and the new telescope languishes. With time on his hands, the Dork returns wishing to win (again?); two out of three perhaps.

Apr 16, 2016 at 2:47 PM | Unregistered CommenterAlan Kendall

Russell: " ... will the Friends of Science commission a Josh billboard celebrating the deflation of Peabody Coal?"

Perhaps they should. But, in his response, Josh would have to celebrate how coal's decline in the US has been almost exactly mirrored by the growth of natural gas: LINK

Apr 16, 2016 at 3:01 PM | Registered CommenterRobin Guenier

@Alan
The Irish data is very clear.
A intensification of the scarcity regime upon euro introduction post 2001.
In a narrow sense this was successful,I.e. a increase in electricity production / consumption and efficiency (fuel inputs relative to elec production) until the breakdown event of 2008.
A deflation of prices (and especially energy inputs in the transport sphere) until a further bailout of the scarcity system by the Imf & Ecb in November 2010.

Another gradual increase in waste production and prices since that time, again first starting in the transport sector.
All catastrophic for living standards and wellbeing.

Rationing did not start in 2008, it's been a multi decade process.


The data is hard to deny.

You will never understand a system by observing the inputs or outputs alone.

Look at the data from 2008 to 2011.
The system was trying to rebalance
during that time frame.
Although highly destructive given the lack of distribution in the economy it was working until the bailout of the corporate conduit economy in Nov 2010.

Apr 16, 2016 at 3:35 PM | Unregistered CommenterThe Dork of Cork

The euro regime from the get go (1950s)has always been about increasing narrow capitalistic efficiency / waste production.
The data cannot be denied

When the system broke down as it has many times in the past(think of economic data during the Suez crisis) you first see transport energy consumption collapsing.
During the period 2008 - 2012 Irish private car energy consumption actually declined!!!
This is extraordinary for such a extreme scarcity jurisdiction.
Afterwards more diesel was again wasted going around in circles as 1 to 5 year car loans began to increase again in mid 2013.

Apr 16, 2016 at 3:53 PM | Unregistered CommenterThe Dork of Cork

Correction Irish car energy inputs declined from to 2008 to 2010 ( exactly mirroring the implosion & bailout of late 2010)
It stabilised and slightly grew for the next two years until taking off again upon resumption of widespread car credit.

The data matches beautifully.
It's not commonly understood but without the credit subsidy of the car Industry the diffuse renewable sector would be even further in the red.

The green industry depends on artificially inflated prices, especially oil.
In the absence of credit for cars in Europe and North America we would be now most probably be living in a STOR universe of new "temporary " baseload.
Which is most likely the reason behind British government secrecy on the matter.
They know what's coming.

Apr 16, 2016 at 4:13 PM | Unregistered CommenterThe Dork of Cork

My Toyota Pious won't start no matter how much petrol I pour over the battery.
===========

Apr 16, 2016 at 4:32 PM | Unregistered Commenterkim

Kim.

You're supposed to electrocute yourself first, then you won't care if the damn hybrid doesn't start, and an ambulance will come and take you anyway (perhaps even offering a brand new white jacket with really long arms).

Save the planet, stop using those vile hydrocarbons.

Apr 16, 2016 at 5:07 PM | Unregistered CommenterAlan Kendall

kim, don't be stupid. You need to light a traditional organic campfire beneath the car, before getting somebody else to douse the battery in petrol. It will certainly make the car roar into life, though the emissions may be more toxic than mere CO2.

Depending on the chosen location, you may even get featured on local TV, or failing that, worldwide coverage on YouTube.

Apr 16, 2016 at 5:18 PM | Unregistered Commentergolf charlie

Has NCC 1701 been reading Professor Manuel's latest submission to <I>Nature Climate Change ?

http://vvattsupwiththat.blogspot.com/2016/04/here-comes-sun.html

Apr 16, 2016 at 5:51 PM | Unregistered CommenterRussell

O K Manuel may have a point, but it is beyond my comprehension. I concentrate on empirical facts such as the Science fraud by GISS in 1976, admitted by a member of that team, James Hansen, to an AIP interviewer 24 years later.

I have also studied the 1975 'Endangered Atmosphere Conference' organised by co-founder in the 1920s of US Eugenics, Margaret Mead, and her Eugenicist ally, Paul Ehrlich. It was decided at that conference to invent a CO2 scare to persuade the Public to opt for Global Government. John Holdren, a long term colleague of Ehrlich, is Obama's chief scientific advisor.

As for the IPCC science used to justify Agenda 21, it was set up by the late Maurice Strong as a subsidiary of UNEP, which he created. Strong went into exile in Beijing after being indicted in a fuel for oil scam which diverted to his private account resources meant for starving Iraqi children. Please read this UN fraud timeline, prepared for Australian parliamentarians, all the way to the IPCC: http://www.au.agwscam.com/pdf/The%20Eco%20Fraud_part%201.pdf

'This timeline started with Maurice Strong. Sixty three years later he is a member of the board of the Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX) established to trade carbon credits. In the now unlikely event that the USA passes Cap- n-trade legislation, the CO2 trading industry is projected to grow to 10 trillion dollars annually.'

Obama was on the board of the foundation which in 2008 set up the Chicago Climate Exchange: http://whatreallyhappened.com/WRHARTICLES/shorebank.php Look at the other names; the Clintons, Bob Ayres of the violent Weather Underground, Jimmy Carter, Al Gore..........

Pleased to help.....

Apr 16, 2016 at 6:29 PM | Unregistered CommenterNCC 1701E

Kim,

self immolation, as proposed by golf Charlie, is not recommended by the manufacturers and voids whatever guarantees you think you have.

The entire industry ( not to mention the planet) depends on car owners acting responsibly. If you have difficulties starting your vehicle, think about exchanging it for one of our new all electric cars which use a voltage high enough to fry your car mechanic at fifty yards. Be the first in your street to sport a Death Car™ (comes with free Darth Vader helmet).

Apr 16, 2016 at 7:07 PM | Unregistered CommenterAlan Kendall

Alan Kendall, without wishing to sound like aTTP, do read what I said! I suggested Kim should get somebody else to douse the battery in petrol.

Electric cars were great fun as kids, Scalelextrics they were called. Then bumper cars or dodgems. Many adults still like to drive around in circles, crashing into other cars, they call it the M25.

Apr 16, 2016 at 9:58 PM | Unregistered Commentergolf charlie

@ Russell, Apr 16, 2016 at 8:03 AM

Maybe you can afford Lithium galore, but the Li and Pb resources just are not there to solve renewables' intermittency. Also, land use of renewables for primary energy is so enormous that you would not have a place left to live, let alone drive your EV. Since renewables' future is so dark, better forget about it now. It is just a waste of money.

Apr 16, 2016 at 11:09 PM | Registered CommenterAlbert Stienstra

golf Charlie, without wishing to sound like myself, do try to understand what I wrote. It was not implicit that the fiery oucome I warned about had to be performed by the owner. Agents acting on behalf of the owner (or his/her descendents) are equally likely to void the somewhat ephemeral warranties.

Furthermore, electric Death Cars™ are not scaled up Scalelextrics, do not run about in circles, and do not have enough battery power to reach the M25.

golf Charlie you are an evil shill in the pay of Big Oil.

Apr 17, 2016 at 6:27 AM | Unregistered CommenterAlan Kendall

If russell loves lithium so much, he should head to the Uyuni region of Bolivia, which is full of the stuff. Don't bother with warm clothes, russell, it's just like June in Tuscany - honest.

If the Bolivians could work out a way to get lithium out of that region, I am pretty sure they'd do it.

Apr 17, 2016 at 6:39 AM | Unregistered CommenterOwen Morgan

NCC, while he was alive I used to ask if Maurice Strong was in China rightly advising them or being advised of his rights.
===================

Apr 17, 2016 at 7:12 AM | Unregistered Commenterkim

As offering to an almighty deity
An enthusiast torched his chariot;
Who gives a damn
About the rhyme,
And as anyone who know anything about poetry knows he also ruined his piety.
=========================

Apr 17, 2016 at 7:29 AM | Unregistered Commenterkim

Dam fine poem Kim!

Did you attend Ayla's academy or are you self taught? Whichever, muchos kudos.

Cheque's in the post.

Apr 17, 2016 at 7:47 AM | Unregistered CommenterAlan Kendall

Unfortunately, 'Poetry in Motion' can not be written about electric cars. Nothing much rhymes with Tesla.

Apr 17, 2016 at 1:13 PM | Unregistered Commentergolf charlie

The was a young man with a Tesla
Who said to his girl, “I betya
Would give me your heart
If my car wouldn’t start,
You could give it a kick with Swan Vesta”

Apr 17, 2016 at 1:44 PM | Registered CommenterRadical Rodent

RR.

As gC wrote, nothing much rhymes with Tesla.

How kind of you to illustrate his point. So unselfish.

Apr 17, 2016 at 2:11 PM | Unregistered CommenterAlan Kendall

The core problem of our time is that domestic residents cannot afford domestic prices. (inflated by taxes and purposeful industrial sabotage)

You can plainly see this when looking at the old spa and ski town of Luchon.
The skeleton rail link was closed a few years ago.
The rail link was unviable given the chronic lack of demand.
Just as the pubs of Ireland have closed down, the cafes and restaurants of France are about to ferme.
Domestic tourists ( the bedrock of the industry) burn vast amounts of Kerosene to escape domestic prices.

Apr 17, 2016 at 2:23 PM | Unregistered CommenterThe Dork of Cork

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DstQBVgsn-s

Apr 17, 2016 at 2:28 PM | Unregistered CommenterThe Dork of Cork

http://www.gq.com/story/who-pooped-on-this-guys-tesla

No dirty filthy Climate Change Denier would never lower themselves or their trousers and under pants and commit such a disgusting act against personal property especially someone taking such pride in doing their bit to help the Environment

Especially against a modern prestige motor vehicle based on Milk Float Technology without the the Milk.

We evil Climate Change Deneirs would never condone such acts of wanton Vandalism but we would have a good laugh about it.

Apr 17, 2016 at 3:15 PM | Unregistered CommenterJamspid

In climate science, there's Desseler,
That doesn't rhyme with Volt,
G-Wiz that's Smart, C-5s a Float
Think I'd better get my coat.

Apr 17, 2016 at 3:21 PM | Unregistered Commentergolf charlie

Jamspid, do you think that next time, the Tesla owner should use a longer rope, connecting his car to the single horse, powering away in front?

Apr 17, 2016 at 3:35 PM | Unregistered Commentergolf charlie

Earth and sun almost nigh perpetual
scrapyard Tesla
serial tax embezzler.

Haiku..... I do?

Apr 17, 2016 at 4:56 PM | Unregistered CommenterAthelstan.

Either that or be a bit more carefull where he parks it next time.
Poop on a windscreen of a Tesla wow why didn't they just use a coin like anyone else would

Heard a good story that Gypsies appeared over night in Morrisons Car Park in Croydon after they had been evicted they left a load of riubbish and had cut into and then stolen the cables powering the Electric Car Recharging Points.

and G C he could get Nornan Wisdom to chauffeur and muck out the stables if he was still alive

Apr 17, 2016 at 5:17 PM | Unregistered CommenterJamspid

Sorry golf charlie I'm off on one

Still on the subject of the unsuitability and uneconomic use of Electric Motorised Transport to Combat Climate Change and Norman Wisdom

Old Black and White Norman Wisdom film I watched as a kid where Norman Pipkin and Mr Grimsdale work as Ambulance drivers and Norman typical slapstick raced with another guy on Electric Motorised Trolleys carrying two screaming patients one completely covered in Plaster and other one with his leg in Traction around the hospital corridors with nurses and doctors diving for cover.

Classic

Apr 17, 2016 at 5:46 PM | Unregistered CommenterJamspid

Jamspid, electric cars are tomorrow's classic comedy cars. They will help take the pain and embarrassment away from those that bought an Austin Allegro (like my late Grandparents)

I wanted one of those Hybrid tea-Leaf cars, but found out that it was the Cockney/accountancy term for the industry, allegedly.

Apr 17, 2016 at 6:29 PM | Unregistered Commentergolf charlie

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