Press article7 Jan 2018 10:33
https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/opinion/tony-lodge-if-britain-doesn-t-build-new-power-stations-now-the-lights-will-go-out-here-s-why-1-8942772/amp?__twitter_impression=true
UNTIL recently, British power stations could supply all of the electricity the nation needed. A mixed portfolio of coal, gas, nuclear, oil and renewable plants kept the lights on and allowed for a mixed and balanced choice of fuels to generate power.
But chronic failures over a generation to get new ones built � as old ones closed � now means Britain is importing more and more electricity from Europe with plans to import up to a fifth of supplies by 2025. This is bad policy.
Britain�s electricity market is now increasingly slanted in favour of importing electricity and against securing investment in new power plants at home. Billions of pounds of energy plant investment are consequently at risk which will undermine future security of supply and risk price rises. Policy needs to change and energy security must become a top priority as we prepare to leave the EU.
Firstly, it is important to understand our growing reliance on imported electricity, the plans to quadruple this dependency and the consequences for prices, competition and security of supply.
Our new Centre for Policy Studies paper, The Hidden Wiring, follows months of research and analysis into proposals for more undersea cables to import electricity, called interconnectors, and their negative impact on Britain�s electricity market and investment. We are calling for our findings to be urgently considered and examined by the competition authorities and Parliament.
Britain�s interconnector imports from Europe increased by 52 per cent in the three years to 2016, and they are set to surge as new interconnectors are planned. Back in 2012, imports were expected to account for just six terawatt hours (TWh) of supply per year in 2030. But four years later, the projection has radically changed. The 2016 forecast sees Britain�s electricity imports rising from 21 TWh today, to a peak of 77 TWh in 2025. That�s close to a fifth of supply.
Importing electricity, in principle, can have advantages � ranging from price to abundant availability � but this depends on a series of important factors.
However, our research shows it is increasingly unlikely there will be much spare electricity in Europe to send to the UK going forward. It is ironic that it was Britain�s slavish adherence to EU directives which made us close many coal and oil fired power stations, such as Ferrybridge, before we had replacements ready and which has now resulted in a panic policy to import more electricity from Europe.
The truth is that Britain�s rising electricity imports are, in the short term, an easy way out for failed energy policies stretching back over a generation.
Back in 2012, David Cameron�s coalition government had the right pla
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