By Paul Homewood
The government has just published the latest electricity stats for Q3, and there are a few things to highlight.
First of all, solar power deployment.
As I noted a couple of months ago, new deployment of solar capacity has pretty much dried up to nothing this year since March:
This of course has coincided with the withdrawal of subsidies via Renewable Obligation Certificates and CfD, and the large cuts in FIT subsidies for small solar installations.
We find a similar situation with onshore wind, which has also seen the end of subsidies for new projects. Note the large additions at the end of 2016, and the first quarter this year – these were pushed through to qualify for subsidies before the door closed.
Of the 240 GW of onshore capacity added in Q3, 221 GW comes from three wind farms, Bhlaraidh, Kilgallioch and Brockloch Rig. All of these have been under construction for a while, and still qualify for subsidies via ROCs.
With new developments of onshore wind and solar power drying up, nearly all of the renewable capacity due to come on stream in coming years will be offshore wind, which is much more expensive.
Electricity Consumption
One leg of the government’s climate strategy is to reduce energy consumption.
Total consumption is down 1.9% on the same quarter last year.
However, domestic consumption is actually slightly up, and has effectively flatlined for the last three years.
We have been assured that energy savings would offset higher electricity prices, but it appears we are still all being rather naughty, and using too much!
More worryingly is the fact a large chunk of the drop in consumption has come from industry, which hardly bodes well for economic growth.
via NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT
December 26, 2017 at 05:57AM
Iowa Climate Science Education 