All the major UK political parties are committed to achieving Net Zero by 2050 at the latest, so it would appear that there is nothing the electorate can presently do to challenge this unattainable objective. The full implications of this policy are largely outside the radar of the majority of the British public, since up to now most of the steps taken to implement this target have been relatively painless. For example, a significant amount of our manufacturing base has been outsourced to China, and the extra cost of renewables has been clandestinely concealed within energy bills.
The Conservative government has recently attracted much odium from the climate fanatics for delaying the phasing out of petrol and diesel cars from 2030 to 2035. In reality this move is unlikely to make much difference, as the government has retained the financial penalties against manufacturers that fail to produce the predetermined sales quotas for electric cars and also for heat pumps. As the percentage quota rises year by year then either manufactures will face prohibitive fines and go out of business, or they will have to exponentially increase the costs of gas boilers and petrol and diesel cars to keep within the quotas, making them unaffordable to consumers. These fines will begin in 2024 and both the quota and fines will increase annually.
Let us assume that these fines and quotas do succeed in encouraging purchasers to switch to heat pumps and electric cars, and that there is no outcry from consumers forced to accept their second best choice, admittedly an unlikely scenario. In this situation the demand for electricity will continue to increase year by year until 2035, by which time pressure on the national grid will be substantially higher. But to meet the Net Zero target renewables during this period will need to significantly replace fossil fuels in the generation of electricity. Moreover, several nuclear power stations currently in operation will become life expired and have to be decommissioned. Currently there is only one nuclear power station being constructed, and another being planned for completion by 2035. The only reliable form of renewable energy is tidal power for which currently little work is being done.
In Britain there was recently a cold spell of about ten days when daytime temperatures were only slightly above freezing. At the same time there was virtually no wind. The daily statistics showed that roughly 65% of electricity was being generated by fossil fuels and only about 3% by the unreliable renewable sources of wind and solar combined. Although there were no power cuts the national grid was working close to the limit.
The inescapable conclusion is that before very long something must give. Either there will be continuing power cuts, or there will be rebellion by consumers unwilling to be forced to abandon their gas boilers and petrol and diesel cars for the unwanted and expensive Net Zero alternatives. The advocates of the Net Zero madness will then be confronted with reality.
