Posted on 07/04/2008 4:19:56 PM PDT by bruinbirdman
Blackouts that plunged 500,000 homes into darkness last month were compounded by European environmental restrictions over the use of coal and oil-fired power stations, The Times has learnt.
The unexpected shutdown of two power stations on Tuesday, May 29, led to the worst disruption to the UKs power network in more than 20 years, prompting new concerns over the stability of Britains ageing power grid.
However, industry sources say that a key factor was the European Unions Large Combustion Plant Directive (LCPD), which sets strict limits on the number of hours that some of Britains largest and most heavily polluting coal and oil-fired power stations can operate before they have to close in 2015. The time is measured in stack hours the length of time that chimney stacks, rather than individual generation units, are in use.
For power stations that have more than one burner, this has created a clear economic incentive for plants to be switched off unless they are being operated at full capacity, or until wholesale power prices increase enough for them to be economically viable to be turned back on.
Power industry executives said that the rules had contributed to mounting instability on the network because increasing numbers of power stations were not being run at any one time, reducing the margin of spare capacity and the ability of the National Grid to boost supply rapidly at times of crisis.
The concern is that it is driving more volatility, said a senior executive at one British power company, who added that it was also affecting wholesale prices and, in turn, retail prices. You dont want to turn these plants on unless prices are high enough to justify firing them up. Its another factor that is affecting the quality and reliability of the system.
(Excerpt) Read more at business.timesonline.co.uk ...
The Brits shot themselves in the foot getting hooked into the EU.
America's future with Obama (God forbid) as President.
Shades of things to come?
That’s it. Make ‘em live like they did in the 1500s, they will love the EU for that. Maybe this is what it takes to wake up Britain and get them out of the EU, and just for the he** of it, get rid of the muslims too!(I threw that one in gratis)
Husseins plan for America....with volunteers!
All socialists love the poor. That’s why they work so hard to make more people poor.
Been there done that here in California.
And in all likelihood will be doing it again...
Between the mooselimbs and power-mad bureaucrats, Europe is doomed.
GOOD... let-em live in the dark for voting these useless eaters into office.
liberal-socialists are so loony.
i remember in college in the 70s they were telling people to send in one penny more than the amount of your electric bill,
so that you’d “mess up the power co’s computers”!
that tells you their motives and that they know nothing about computers.
bump
Insanity
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