High cost of no coal

Yesterday the National Grid announced, for the first time in almost a decade, that the UK might not have enough gas to meet demand. Householders will probably escape rationing, but the Grid’s warning tells us something about Britain’s perilous energy security. Back in 2005, the UK was a net exporter of energy. Now, the country is close to demand outstripping supply.

This is what happens when the green agenda trumps common sense. Britain is committed to closing every coal-powered plant by 2025. Where will the lost energy come from? Hinkley Point C nuclear station will not come online for years; wind turbines stand idle on windless days. And when Britain switches to electric cars, how will our energy sector cope?

In the absence of coal, pressure is put on gas in a country where fracking is discouraged and infrastructure is weak: Centrica has shut down the UK’S largest gas storage facility amid safety concerns. The result? Greater reliance upon foreign imports, which are themselves subject to wintry conditions as the troubles with European pipelines have shown. Britain is lucky that this cold snap came so late in the year. Imagine the state of our energy market if January had been as turbulent.

Energy problems are not solely a matter of supply: efforts to conserve might be encouraged. Many readers will recall in the past that when it got cold one put a jumper on: no one has a human right to centrally heat the house to the point that they can wander around in shorts and T-shirt. Nevertheless, consumers do have a right to get what they paid for – and the Government needs to explain how its current, anti-coal energy strategy will see them through future winters.