An amazing thing happened this week. Actually, two amazing things happened this week. The first was evidence of critical thinking from one European Commissioner. The second was an official, very public report by Wood Mackenzie that effectively spit in the face of people like the IEA’s Fatih Birol that claimed renewable energy output had nothing to do with the current energy crunch if crunch is still the right word, which I doubt.
And within that you have the kernel of Brexit the desire to run away from a mad power hungry bureaucracy in Brussels combined with a “Poverty of the Commons” policy approach to energy, but you could choose agriculture, financial regulations or mass population movement. Their logic is perfect it’s just reality being difficult.
We are nowhere near peak idiocy... that won't come until these states cease to be able to maintain the basic tenets of modern civilization: food, water, power, etc.
A question: all things being equal, if the EU/UK had zero wind/solar capacity today, would it be in a better or worse situation re energy security? And would the energy crisis be less severe, or more?
Dec 24, 2021·edited Dec 24, 2021Liked by Irina Slav
Wind energy is finite. Maybe the reason for the wind “not blowing” in these places with many wind turbines is that the energy has been already removed by another wind turbine somewhere else (or nearby).
It’s not like energy is infinite just because it’s in wind form…maybe it’s simply not as large a supply source of energy as was thought (if indeed this thought ever occurred to its proponents in the first place).
This would explain the decreasing power returns to wind farm construction. It would also mean that building more turbines could yield relatively little additional power (non linear relationship between turbine count and energy produced).
Building more wind turbines to solve the problem of wind scarcity is akin to building more gas station pumps to cure a gasoline shortage. It misses the forest for the trees.
Doing more of what doesn't work is literally the EU's motto. Whether its green energy, covid, immigration, you can always count on it.
And within that you have the kernel of Brexit the desire to run away from a mad power hungry bureaucracy in Brussels combined with a “Poverty of the Commons” policy approach to energy, but you could choose agriculture, financial regulations or mass population movement. Their logic is perfect it’s just reality being difficult.
We are nowhere near peak idiocy... that won't come until these states cease to be able to maintain the basic tenets of modern civilization: food, water, power, etc.
A question: all things being equal, if the EU/UK had zero wind/solar capacity today, would it be in a better or worse situation re energy security? And would the energy crisis be less severe, or more?
Wind energy is finite. Maybe the reason for the wind “not blowing” in these places with many wind turbines is that the energy has been already removed by another wind turbine somewhere else (or nearby).
It’s not like energy is infinite just because it’s in wind form…maybe it’s simply not as large a supply source of energy as was thought (if indeed this thought ever occurred to its proponents in the first place).
This would explain the decreasing power returns to wind farm construction. It would also mean that building more turbines could yield relatively little additional power (non linear relationship between turbine count and energy produced).
Building more wind turbines to solve the problem of wind scarcity is akin to building more gas station pumps to cure a gasoline shortage. It misses the forest for the trees.
Thank you for another great article, Irina. It's great insight into Europe's policy and troubles as I watch with concern from Toronto.