UK wind farms generate record 22.7 GW in a day, enough to power 22 million homes

Amazing news, but you're unlikely to see this in our "Mainstream Media" (aka the right-wing press) cos it doesn't fit their narrative.

Nearly 23GW were generated by wind energy on just one cold, windy evening last week. In more relatable numbers, that was 56% of all electricity on our grid. Nuclear did 8%. Just pointing that out.

However, in maybe 15 or 20 years we'lll have Sizewell C chipping in, and btw we're all starting to pay for that through our energy bills next month. This useless government has thought of a way to make nuclear attractive enough to get built - we pay them for well over a decade before they even produce any electricity.

Nuclear is SUCH a bargain.

(adapted from Dale Vince)

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meJess · F

Balanced reporting please, include the grid response to unwanted delivery.

G7J2O · 36-40, MNew

@meJess So, you think mentioning unwanted delivery is necessary? Why should that be needed to "balance" what I've said? I'm not the BBC. Besides which, unwanted delivery’ happens any time supply exceeds demand, and it’s normal grid management, not a sign that wind is unreliable.

Operators can curtail, store, or export excess power, and modern grids are designed to handle these fluctuations. Pointing to this as a flaw ignores that ALL forms of generation sometimes produce more than needed and require the same balancing.

Perhaps you want to include the grid response to unwanted delivery produced by fossil fuels?

meJess · F

@G7J2O there is no unwanted delivery by fossil fuels, marginal adjustments if course but not 22GW right now and nothing by 7pm etc. That’s the whole point and suggesting storage on that scale is unrealistic. Wind power can only support it can never replace.

G7J2O · 36-40, MNew

@meJess Wrong, I'm afraid. No source perfectly matches demand. Fossil fuels can also produce more than needed, they just adjust continuously rather than in large blocks like wind.

Large wind outputs are managed through curtailment, interconnectors, flexible demand, and emerging storage, so ‘unwanted delivery’ isn’t a flaw, it’s normal grid management.

When combined with other flexible generation, wind can reliably supply the majority of electricity, not just ‘support’ it, which is what's it's doing more and more :)

meJess · F

@G7J2O you just agreed with me in your first paragraph, after starting with ‘wrong’ 😁.

G7J2O · 36-40, MNew

@meJess No. 😁

You said that there is no unwanted delivery from fossil fuels, meaning that you believe fossil fuel sources perfectly match demand. I said you were wrong because no sources perfectly match demand and that there IS unwanted delivery from fossilfuels.

meJess · F

@G7J2O I said marginal adjustments. You can read it again if you like, or maybe for the first time?

G7J2O · 36-40, MNew

@meJess same thing. The fact remains that renewables are now cheaper than fossil fuels, and they will be able to supply 100% of the energy grid within a few years. :)

meJess · F

@G7J2O so I was wrong until you read properly and now it’s the same thing.

100% of the energy grid renewable in a few years. Wrong! Check the fossil fuel demand in the South America and Africa between now and 2035, the expected output of Chinese refineries in the same period and the continued reliance on Natural Gas ang LNG in Europe anticipated. You can pick from Bloomberg, Reuters or PIRA.

G7J2O · 36-40, MNew

@meJess I'm talking about the UK.

And no. "Small adjustments" is still unwanted delivery. It's the same thing.

meJess · F

@G7J2O lol, so now go check the UK figures, same sources. Not what Mr Milliband wants you to believe.

G7J2O · 36-40, MNew

@meJess Yep, if all goes well, 100% renewable energy for the UK by 2032.

https://www.isepglobal.org/articles/renewables-could-supply-100-of-uk-electricity-by-2032

Why do you want it to fail?

meJess · F

@G7J2O do you see the ‘could’ in the URL? You said and I quote ‘Will be able to supply 100% of the energy grid in a few years’. That is not what the article says.

I would be very happy to have renewable power, what I don’t like is definitive statements on a maybe.

By the way ISEP is specifically a promoter of sustainability, not an impartial reporter.

Maybe check your sources and look for corroboration before making definitive statements.

G7J2O · 36-40, MNew

@meJess There are no certainties. But it will surely happen :)