Is anyone in Europe? Is it true that the media said that the electricity price there has risen dozens of times?
Putin’s Energy War with Europe Seems to Falter
121–130 of 152 posts
Re: Putin’s Energy War with Europe Seems to Falter
#122Earlier quoted context omitted.
Surprisingly short-sighted by the Russians
Wait until the winter is over before you say anything. We're looking at likely blackouts in Germany, things that only happened in third world hell holes and Texas until recently.
Households are a minority electricity user there. Blackouts for homes are still possible by policy choice of course.
Re: Putin’s Energy War with Europe Seems to Falter
#123Is anyone in Europe? Is it true that the media said that the electricity price there has risen dozens of times?
Ita here, we got a 3x increase w.r.t. sep 2021
Re: Putin’s Energy War with Europe Seems to Falter
#124But long term, despite their history of moronic energy policy, I don't see the EU making itself dependent again on Russian gas (or any other critical commodity). Which is kind of a problem for a commodity driven economy like Russia.
I think you overestimate the relevance of EU energy policies, especially looking backwards (as you emphasize its history). It's been more aspirational, but mostly the policymaking happens on national level. The carbon trading system is a commendable accomplishment though, even with all its faults.
Re: Putin’s Energy War with Europe Seems to Falter
#125Is anyone in Europe? Is it true that the media said that the electricity price there has risen dozens of times?
I'm in Sweden where electricity rates have gone up markedly, especially in in the lower half of the country. Average rates have gone up ~300%-400%, peak rates up to ~2500%. Those peak rates drive up the daily rates for those who have such a contract while those who have hourly rates can end up paying more than 10 kr ( ~$1) per kWh while the rate is up there - a period of a few hours around 08.00 in the morning, 17.00 in the afternoon. Where the rates end up depends on the demand from "the continent" - mostly Germany - as well as the availability of wind to fill in the gap left by the "green" party being responsible for shutting down half of the nuclear capacity. The oil-fired peak plant in Karlshamn has been running more hours this year than in the last 10 years combined, burning up to 140.000 litres of heavy fuel oil per hour.
Interestingly that peak power plant has recently released its financial figures for last year [1]. It made a profit of 297 million kr (~$28 million) while consuming 30.000 tons of fuel oil, generating ~110 GWh. This roughly translates to ~$1 profit per kg of fuel oil burned, ~$2.70 profit per generated kWh. This shows the discrepancy between the actual cost of electricity and the market rates.
[1] https://sverigesradio.se/artikel/vinsten-for-karlshamnsverke...
Re: Putin’s Energy War with Europe Seems to Falter
#126But long term, despite their history of moronic energy policy, I don't see the EU making itself dependent again on Russian gas (or any other critical commodity). Which is kind of a problem for a commodity driven economy like Russia.
I think you overestimate the relevance of EU energy policies, especially looking backwards (as you emphasize its history). It's been more aspirational, but mostly the policymaking happens on national level. The carbon trading system is a commendable accomplishment though, even with all its faults.
Granted, I really mean EU countries.
Re: Putin’s Energy War with Europe Seems to Falter
#127> European governments say Mr. Putin’s gambit is to cut natural-gas supplies to inflict pain on European households and businesses so populations turn against current government policies of sanctions against Russia and support for Ukraine with weapons and financial aid. He's so terribly wrong. He doesn't know Europeans at all. There is no way people would say, "We are cold so it is fine to kill Ukrainians." How could…
Europeans slept quite soundly for 40 years when it was Muslims being killed for oil. Give it one good cold winter and Ukrainians will also become sub-humans.
> Europeans slept quite soundly for 40 years when it was Muslims being killed for oil.
This is simply not true. When Bush decided to invade Iraq, there were biggest anti-war protests in European (and possibly world) history, gathering millions (not thousands) of people in practically all major European cities. It was wrong then, it is wrong now. We didn't "sleep quite soundly."
Re: Putin’s Energy War with Europe Seems to Falter
#128But long term, despite their history of moronic energy policy, I don't see the EU making itself dependent again on Russian gas (or any other critical commodity). Which is kind of a problem for a commodity driven economy like Russia.
Other than nuclear, what options do these countries have to avoid their dependency? I'm curious since solar is not an option I'm winter.
Re: Putin’s Energy War with Europe Seems to Falter
#129Earlier quoted context omitted.
Europeans slept quite soundly for 40 years when it was Muslims being killed for oil. Give it one good cold winter and Ukrainians will also become sub-humans.
> Europeans slept quite soundly for 40 years when it was Muslims being killed for oil. This is simply not true. When Bush decided to invade Iraq, there were biggest anti-war protests in European (and possibly world) history, gathering millions (not thousands) of people in practically all major European cities. It was wrong then, it is wrong now. We didn't "sleep quite soundly." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protests_…
Exactly. And as a response to the well intended criticism, especially to the one from France, there was a USA boycott against French products.
There was even a proposal to rename French Fries to Freedom Fries...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_fries
But this must have slipped Muslim extremists' attention because France got their share of terrorist attacks afterwards anyway.
Re: Putin’s Energy War with Europe Seems to Falter
#130But long term, despite their history of moronic energy policy, I don't see the EU making itself dependent again on Russian gas (or any other critical commodity). Which is kind of a problem for a commodity driven economy like Russia.
Other than nuclear, what options do these countries have to avoid their dependency? I'm curious since solar is not an option I'm winter.
What makes you think solar isn't an option in winter? Solar panels get more efficient as the temperature drops. The amount of sunlight you receive is diminished by shorter days, but you can calculate that and compensate. It's similar to how we compensate for nighttime.
Or were you thinking of compensating for the BTUs consumed in winter to heat homes? Even in that case today's heat pumps are dramatically more efficient than they were 30 years ago and they were already more efficient than gas furnaces, even then. There's a lot that can be done to dramatically reduce the amount of energy required to heat homes to the level we're heating them today.