Aging Power Stations

The UK national grid is in several parts. The power stations, the Transmission Lines and Micro Generators. The heart of the first two are decades old. Hardly any extra capacity had been built in the past 20 years, and the transmission of the power is becoming less efficient as the cables and transformers age. It has been estimated that over £230,000,000,000 by 2020 is required just to bring the system up to date. Power stations have to close eventually due to safety concerns and climate change regulation from Europe. Taking this into account, by 2015, our supply of electricity will drop below the predicted demand. This gap will only widen, by 2020, the gap will be a massive 34%. As it takes 5 years to build a clean(ish) gas power station, 10 yrs for nuclear fission power station, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to realise the UK faces a massive crisis... from the Telegraph in Nov 2010...

The only methods available to delay this crisis is through energy efficiency and growth of micro power generators as these can be built individually in days. The bulk of this market is from home solar power installations. Due to overpricing the subsidy to such installations before 3rd March 2012, this government felt it nessessary to reduce the tarrif to a level that is now too low to make it investible for most potential clients. Many Solar Installers are closing across the UK. The only option left; wind turbines; Total capacity so far in UK after 15 yrs= 1.4 average sized gas turbines. Do you see a problem?

Latest News.. December 2012; Two nuclear power stations now have to work up to 8 yrs past the recommended closure date in the UK. No nuclear power plant of these types has ever operated beyond 40yrs. We will be in unknown territory that can reveal unknown potential failures that have catastrophic results. Our government is prepared to risk this to keep the lights on.