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Europe is in danger of rolling electricity shortages

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Re: Europe is in danger of rolling electricity shortages

#61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Here's what rich countries are doing in general: outbidding pour countries for the limited amount of resources available in the short term. Not just energy, but food, vaccines, medical supplies, consumer products, etc. This has always been the case but now it's at the point where third world countries will probably have major civil unrest and emigration due to the shortages of food and energy they will face from bei…

European != middle class.

The poor and vulnerable people in places like Austria, France, Germany, Netherlands, etc. receive generous welfare and assistance from the government to not starve and freeze to death. They'll be fine.

In Eastern Europe, not so much.

Re: Europe is in danger of rolling electricity shortages

#62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What you are saying is both inaccurate and lies. >Oh, so it is some politians fault that power plant operators screw up maintenance? Firstly, EDF, the french operator for nuclear power plants belongs to 80+% to the state. So, first off: fucking yes it is, especially when said politicians have spent the last 20 years not investing in their plants, despite the insane work that EDF has done. Reminder that said politicia…

Your post would be a lot more convincing without the easy scape goat identifying and cursing.

No, it's you choosing to cherry-pick it because I said "fucking". Grow up.

Re: Europe is in danger of rolling electricity shortages

#63
post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wonder if it is cost effective going forward to install two meters and panels on every house with one being “essential” and the other being “intermittent” so the power company has the option of blacking out the intermittent boxes only. I’d rather have all my computers, lights, etc shut down than my whole house.

isn't it much "easier" to implement some kind of progressive price on energy? first 1000kw/h are "cheaper" than market (per person in household), next 500kw/h double the price, next 500kw/h doubles again etc... For things like heatpumps you usually have an extra meter with special day/night tarifs (in germany), the rest is metered as general consumption. I always wonder through how much energy my peers burn, we have…

I think that already exists. You get some base amount with hookup fee and the rest you pay extra for

Re: Europe is in danger of rolling electricity shortages

#64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Here's what rich countries are doing in general: outbidding pour countries for the limited amount of resources available in the short term. I lived in Switzerland and of course they are doing great, but Swiss people won't be the ones freezing to death in winter. Also the amount of LPG redirected from India and Pakistan to Europe will have a huge effect on those countries. In Hungary the country is trying to get back…

>Here's what rich countries are doing in general: outbidding pour countries for the limited amount of resources available in the short term. Not just energy, but food, vaccines, medical supplies, consumer products, etc. This has always been the case but now it's at the point where third world countries will probably have major civil unrest and emigration due to the shortages of food and energy they will face from bei…

Poor people in Europe already die of cold every winter. The UK especially has a lot of housing in bad condition. Before the pandemic I would regularly see retirement-aged people sitting in the local indoor shopping centre all day in winter.

Re: Europe is in danger of rolling electricity shortages

#65

Here is what Switzerland is doing at the moment to prevent the worst case which would be rolling black outs. They are planning for the worst case so they don't get caught with their pants down. This includes: - Currently trying to fill as many reservoirs as possible - Securing gas in foreign reservoirs. - Plan for emergency gas plants that can be operational by January/February, the time Switzerland has the least ele…

Here's what rich countries are doing in general: outbidding pour countries for the limited amount of resources available in the short term. I lived in Switzerland and of course they are doing great, but Swiss people won't be the ones freezing to death in winter. Also the amount of LPG redirected from India and Pakistan to Europe will have a huge effect on those countries. In Hungary the country is trying to get back…

> Also the amount of LPG redirected from India and Pakistan to Europe will have a huge effect on those countries.

India's buying the excess gas from Russia though, so they have access to a seller that Europe won't touch.

Re: Europe is in danger of rolling electricity shortages

#66

I am happy I got solar earlier this year. I thought it would be very expensive but we are very frugal with energy and it only was 7k euro to go off grid. During the day we can run anything (tons of sun so washing, dish washing, etc etc), during the night less so but we go to bed early (21:00) and get up at 5.

Next investment for you then would be chemical batteries to store power.

Given that you are paying in Euros, how do you expect to get enough solar energy over winter?

Re: Europe is in danger of rolling electricity shortages

#67
post #59

Scary, especially in light of the coming winter. This does seem to be ignoring some positives though - German putting some nuclear shutdowns on hold and France is looking like they might get their fleet back on track by beginning 2023 after they sorted out their corrosion issues. UK just fasttracked fracking (sigh) and sizewell C nuclear plant seems to have gotten the go ahead. Quite unfortunate that the writeup is o…

> German putting some nuclear shutdowns on hold

This is precisely what I had been jumping up and down about for years, especially at the beginning of this year. The irony that Germany doesn't want nuclear power internally, yet buys their direct neighbour's nuclear power instead.

> France is looking like they might get their fleet back on track by beginning 2023 after they sorted out their corrosion issues

Apparently. I doubt it. Too little too late for this winter.

> UK just fasttracked fracking (sigh) and sizewell C nuclear plant seems to have gotten the go ahead.

I'll take fracking over freezing to death. The alternative is people will burn whatever is not nailed down, and you can bet that would be worse. Sizewell C is too little too late. None of this will make a difference this winter.

> Quite unfortunate that the writeup is on twitter though.

Something as important as this should be on a news outlet's website. People most definitely need to see it and read it.

Re: Europe is in danger of rolling electricity shortages

#68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or at least we have to assume that the people that managed to make the feat that he boasts about, know what they are doing: > The European electricity grid is a modern miracle. It is the largest synchronous electrical grid (by connected power) in the world. It interconnects 520 million end-customers in 32 countries, including non-European Union members such as Morocco or Turkey. But then he makes a sharp turn to: > H…

Aparently those people creating the grid have been replaced, at all levels, by ideological do gooders led by politicians with the sole goal of ruining industry and living standards. According to authors like the one who's article we are discussing.

No post body was provided.

Re: Europe is in danger of rolling electricity shortages

#69

I am happy I got solar earlier this year. I thought it would be very expensive but we are very frugal with energy and it only was 7k euro to go off grid. During the day we can run anything (tons of sun so washing, dish washing, etc etc), during the night less so but we go to bed early (21:00) and get up at 5.

Good for you. That’s the best way to go, solar on the roof and batteries down the basement so as to be as independent as possible. Wish I could do the same.

Re: Europe is in danger of rolling electricity shortages

#70

Here is what Switzerland is doing at the moment to prevent the worst case which would be rolling black outs. They are planning for the worst case so they don't get caught with their pants down. This includes: - Currently trying to fill as many reservoirs as possible - Securing gas in foreign reservoirs. - Plan for emergency gas plants that can be operational by January/February, the time Switzerland has the least ele…

To nitpick, Switzerland is not part of Europe.
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