The massive power cuts that affected Spain and Portugal are a reminder of how vulnerable modern society is to a collapse in the electricity grid for whatever reason. [emphasis, links added]
Everything stopped, from supermarket checkouts to air traffic control systems. Rail transport on the Iberian Peninsula was paralysed for hours. On the roads, traffic lights failed, causing huge jams, while in Madrid, the Metro closed its stations.
The mobile phone and internet networks collapsed, while shops shut when their electronic tills failed.
The governments in both countries were clearly caught on the hop with few official pronouncements and no obvious emergency plan.
Rumours of a cyberattack were discounted, and experts pointed to the undue reliance on solar power, which makes grids less resilient against shocks than gas and coal-fired generators.
Britain is particularly at risk both because of its switch to renewables as part of the Government’s aim to decarbonize the grid by 2030, and a heavy reliance on imported electricity.
In January, during an anti-cyclonic period of no sun or wind, a blackout was only averted because of electricity from Norway through the 450-mile interconnector.
Without it, the country might have suffered a cascading blackout similar to that in Spain and Portugal. Who is to say such help will continue?
There is resentment in Norway, a country accustomed to cheap and abundant energy, at the higher bills they face to bail out the UK, and the government in Oslo fell over green energy policies.
Ed Miliband, the Energy Secretary, has recently been on a crusade to debunk criticisms of his net-zero strategy. He has claimed that “fossil fuels simply cannot provide us with the security or the affordability we need.”
But seeking to eradicate them from our electricity generation within five years risks both security and affordability. Has the impact on the grid of a move mostly to renewables been properly considered?
The closure over the next three years of aging nuclear power stations, delays in building new ones, and rising demands for electricity will leave the UK facing a crunch point in about 2028.
The chances that wind, solar, and other renewables will fill the gap are fanciful.
People rely on their governments to keep the lights on, but as we saw in Spain and Portugal, the impact goes far beyond that. The backlash against politicians who let it happen will be immense.
Top image of electric rail passengers stranded in Valencia. Sky News/YouTube screencap
Read more at The Telegraph
The probable cause of the massive was the heavy reliance on solar power. Unlike coal and natural gas, solar power does not have spinning turbines to provide inertia to stabilize the frequencies. Yet, the media and officials in Europe are still claiming to not know what caused the outage. One official in Spain dismissed the possibility that it was the use of renewable energy. This shows the same level of incompetence that caused them to start relying on renewable energy. Perhaps after more power outages they will be forced to acknowledge reality.
At least the grid operator came out and said it wasn’t caused by a cyber attack. And my guess is they will be pressured to not point the finger at the “green” boondoggle.
Why America should not be put on Wind and Solar Only(Leave that to the UN)and use our Natural Resources and not depend upon OPEC
For readers in Europe and the UK, just have a look at what’s happening in Australia. Every peak summer and winter, we are warned of power outages. The grid “Regulator” often pays high electricity industrial users compensation for reducing usage during these periods.
Electricity prices have risen beyond what some home-owners can afford and they have been disconnected from the grid.
State and federal governments are paying home-owners subsidies for their electricity bills. In saying this, I am assuming you will know that rnewables developers are also paid subsidies by government. If you think we are crazy down here, you are not alone…!!
The current socialist government (the same and UK labor) is pressing on with establishing a parallel power network, which will be necessary because renewables electricity is DC current while the existing coal power) network is AC 50hz – the two don’t like each other. We have been told that another 20,000 kilometres of power lines will be installed to connect renewable projects to consumers.
These renewable projects are a long way away from the cities where the electricity is needed, which means people who live in the country will have a lot more power lines through they properties and many will have windmills or acres and acres of solar panels nearby.
The most unbelievable aspect to this – all the renewables equipment being installed comes from CHINA, which recently sent three war ships to conduct live-fire exerecises in the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand, directly under the flight path that links both countries. Australian and NZ authorities were not notified of this by China. An airline pilot flying to NZ heard a warning on his radio, so he advised Australian authorities what was happening. All other flights were then redirected out of the area.
Australia has more natural resourses (coal, gas and uranium) than most countries , yet we won’t construct new coal or nuclear power stations because of climate change. (FYI.. nuclear energy is illegal here)
This country is in the process of accumulating a national debt of over AU$1 trillion, while the current socialist government has forecast deficit spending into the future. There has not been any improvement in productivity in four years. 35,000 additional federal government public servants were employed during the last three years. Every Australian worker has lost around $8,000/ year due to ongoing inflation, a result of excessive government spending.
If people in Europe or the UK think things are bad, you are not alone. Australia is doing its best to be with you.
Anybody who understands how a reliable grid is maintained would know that unreliable power sources such as solar and wind makes it difficult to maintain grid stability and that it gets worse the higher percentage of the grid can be powered with wind and solar. But then politicians are not technically literate so they actually believe that they can go to fossil-fuel free. Portugal and Spain are soon to find out the reality.