SIR – At 6pm on Monday, renewables were generating 7.1 per cent of the UK’s power requirements. Gas was generating 59.1 per cent and overseas interconnectors were supplying 10.8 per cent. Yet the Government has ordered a ban on drilling in new North Sea oil fields and is taxing companies currently operating offshore out of existence, leaving viable gas and oil deposits untapped.
No matter how many wind turbines and solar farms Ed Miliband forces us to fund, they will not generate electricity in still, sunless weather. Our energy policy seems to be dictated by the whims of the Energy Secretary and the exhortations of the green lobby, with no thought at all for what is best for people or businesses (“Millions more may be asked to switch off in net zero drive”, Business, November 5).
Ian Goddard
Wickham, Hampshire
SIR – As I sit here sending off my monthly gas and electric bill, I look out of my window at 10 wind turbines, all motionless, and overcast skies. If Mr Miliband has his way, we’ll be buying most of our power from abroad – and held to ransom on price.
Captain T J C Lowe
Tetney, Lincolnshire
SIR – Your report (Business, November 4) on proposals for massive solar-power installations in Cornwall includes a statement from Solar Energy UK, the industry trade body, that it is one of the cheapest forms of energy.
In fact, the capital cost of small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) per TWh of energy delivered is lower than for solar farms. Not only could SMRs be designed and built by a British company, they also have a longer life expectancy and don’t neutralise thousands of acres of agricultural land.
Furthermore, SMRs can more easily be located near where there is spare transmission capacity, thereby reducing the need for long transmission lines and losses, with their extended construction delays.
Perhaps the new “value for money” tsar could let us have his views on whether solar farms offer best value for the taxpayer.
Roger J Arthur
Pulborough, West Sussex
SIR – Despite the messaging that smart meters help customers to save money, the ability to use them to charge different rates for different periods has always been at the heart of the underlying strategy.
This could allow energy companies to pass on the fluctuations in the costs they incur, transferring risk from suppliers to customers, or be used to control individuals’ consumption through punitive charges.
The current issues around reliability and communication will be overshadowed by pricing shocks in the future, mainly as a result of failed energy policies.
Roger Gentry
Weavering, Kent