Some days the wind blows strongly, some days softly, and other days not at all. This is not a suggestion, nor yet a theory, but a statement of fact based upon… oh, century upon century of daily observation and measurement.
So why would you want to base your energy supply upon so changeable a source?
Well to most of us, the answer is simple: you shouldn’t. Unfortunately, there are others — some in positions of great authority and power — who see the whole thing differently. And some in that latter group are now getting bitten in the ass:
“At the beginning of this month, Germany’s power supply reached its limits,” Dr. Markus Krebber wrote on LinkedIn.
Citing Nov. 6 as an example, Krebber bemoaned extreme high energy prices and “shortage of supply.” He also warned that the “same situation would not have been manageable on another day with a higher peak load.”
In other words, Europe’s over-reliance on wind power means that when wind speeds slow, energy producers sometimes cannot meet demand.
This state of affairs suppressed energy supply and raised prices in the UK, Germany and elsewhere in northern Europe earlier this month.
You don’t say.
Of course, British government officials have learned all the wrong lessons from “Dunkelflaute.”
For instance, Chris Stark, appointed in July to head the government’s new clean energy-focused Mission Control, doubled down on renewables.
“Even small amounts of low-carbon flex can displace a lot of gas. We’ll also need to support the build of a lot of new renewable generation – of all types, but especially offshore wind,” Stark said on Nov. 5.
Indeed. When foolishness proves not to work, what you need is… MOAR FOOLISHNESS. So if the wind isn’t blowing at all, more wind generators will solve the problem. Does he even realize how stupid he sounds?
As with all Socialism, when the facts do not conform to the theory, the theory is still paramount.
Unbelievable.
