2023-07-07
Despite allegedly becoming cheaper every year, the corporate-political windmills are now turning furiously to demand ever higher subsidies from our government, no doubt to stave off disaster.
"The budget for fixed-foundation offshore wind alone would need to be at least two and a half times higher than its current level to maximise the capacity which could now be secured in this year’s auction"
Unforeseen costs it seems may be to blame. At least, they are being blamed. But who should have foreseen them? And were those that did foresee them ignored and sidelined?
What has the Department of Energy / Department of Energy and Climate Change / Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy been doing since 1974, apart from changing its name, consuming lots of resources, devising incomprehensible power auction schemes, and driving our energy supply into the ground?
Has centralisation of energy policy under central government been of benefit to the people?
Do we actually need it, and if so, what for? It seems to me that we cannot possibly need it in its current form. We should seriously consider whether we need it at all. Are there no alternatives to centrally managed supply?
Yes there are - locally managed supply and procurement. We may not have appropriate infrastructure in place yet, but we should be asking some very hard questions and not accepting any glib answers.
Let me spell it out:
The answer to the failure of wind turbines cannot possibly be more wind turbines.
The answer to the failure of central government cannot possibly be more central government.
It's time to think outside the box that the corporate vested interests have so assiduously constructed for us.
