The UK has just ended its record 46-day ‘coal-free’ streak. Severely damaging confidence in the clean energy ambition.
The run was broken due to rising energy demand caused by the current heat wave engulfing the country. Falling back on fossil fuels, even as a precautionary measure, further goes to show the need for significant investment in renewables. If a small period of warm weather is all it takes to fall back into old habits, the continued effects of climate change are going to be disastrous.
Temperatures broke 30C for the first time this year over the weekend and the chances of Britain experiencing a hot summer was 45% – 2.3 times the typical figure. After 2022 record-breaking temperatures, this is only going to become something of a regular occurrence as global warming looks to tighten its grip.
In Ratcliffe, Nottinghamshire, one coal power plant was brought into operation on Monday with another warming up as a secondary safeguard. Greenpeace political campaigner, Ami McCarthy said:
“It is a sign of failure that the National Grid is turning into one of the most polluting forms of power generation to deal with a summer heatwave, that we know has been made worse because of climate change”.
It’s cruelly ironic that the UK is reduced to using the cause of heatwave in an attempt to fight the effects of the heatwave, because of a lack of foresight in its own electricity grid and renewable drive.
It’s been reported that the National Grid is suffering from the longest queue for connections in Europe. 200GW of predominantly renewable projects are left waiting due to a creaky system that was constructed only to cater to a few large-scale fossil fuel plants.
Not only is it damaging for the net zero by 2050 grand ambition, but it’s also detrimental to public uptake and confidence, considering the increasing amount of pressure placed on the public to make ‘greener choices’ by using radiators at lower temperatures or switching to LED light bulbs.
Global energy demand rose by 1% in 2022, but the rate of energy efficiency improvements was double the average of the past five years. Boosted by surging sales in more efficient technologies like heat pumps and electric vehicles. Overseas.
Heat Pumps are one of the ‘key technologies’ for decarbonization efforts, according to a report by the International Energy Agency, seeing an increase of more than 10% globally in 2022. In the United States last year, residential heat pump sales exceeded gas furnaces for the first time, making up 53% of heating system sales.
These numbers just aren’t translating across to the UK. The drive isn’t there.
While the majority of those who have installed a Heat Pump found a heat level not dissimilar to gas. Only 3% of people plan to buy a heat pump in the next year, according to EcoExperts National Home Energy Survey. Even more striking, just 51% of UK residents are even aware of heat pumps.
Considering 88% of the public support renewable energy, it’s difficult to understand why the UK has taken such a ‘go slow’ approach as the market is there.
Apart from a tiny amount of schemes to switch to renewable energy, there doesn’t seem to be any real consistency in government planning or forecasting in how to deal with periods of increased energy usage when events like heatwaves develop.
The momentum behind new renewable energy is expected to continue to build in the UK despite this and electricity demand is forecast to rise by about 50% by 2035.
Without sustained commitment, refiring the coal plants will become a more common occurrence. In contrast, it would take 4,700 years to build enough onshore wind farms to help meet the UK’s clean energy goals.
It’s not just a lack of investment that’s causing a step back in progress. It’s an investment to the wrong people – The international engineering company Wood Group expanded its oil and gas business and dramatically shrunk its renewables operations after receiving a £430m government-backed “green transition” loan.
On the other end of the spectrum, reports that UK universities and tech companies are to receive £4.3m in government funding to develop space-based solar power. The technology would collect energy from the sun using satellite-mounted panels and beam it to Earth.
Focussing on connecting earth-based solar power rather than looking to the skies would seem more of a priority.
It’s disappointing to see Ratcliffe back online in such circumstances, circumstances that have only risen because of no real consistent drive – On 30 March 2023, the government published 2,800+ pages detailing its ambitious climate plans. But only 35% of emissions cuts needed have policy frameworks in place for delivery. It’s this all-bark-and-no-bite approach that has allowed coal its comeback.
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