Flexible moronity

In early November, the FT reported that the UK’s National Energy System Operator had advised greater demand flexibility in electricity consumption in view of decarbonisation efforts.

In a little bit later November, the FT again reported that Ofgem, the UK’s energy regulator, had given the green light to five new interconnectors with continental Europe and Ireland to enhance the flexibility of the UK grid “in an age of increasing renewable power.”

Yesterday, the publication that has well and truly turned into a mouthpiece of the people whom I shall graciously call the unconventional greens at 10 Downing Street graced us with another report saying the abovementioned greens were open to “flexibilities” in their EV mandates in order to avoid the collapse of the car industry.

It could be just me. Or it could be that the word “flexibility” and its relatives are the latest to fall victim to the transition word-grinder with a view to subverting meanings and cancelling physical reality. Let’s take a moment of silence for flexibility. Because the above news reports have zero to do with flexibility proper, but you already knew that. What they have to do with is a rabidly desperate attempt to make the impossible possible. And no, they don’t seem to realise this is, um, impossible, either in the UK or anywhere else. We’re well and truly in the realm of moronity.