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Agreed - Germany has a similar north-south issue and NIMBYs protesting against construction of new high-capacity power lines aren't helping. The alarmism is mi
by lima 5y ago
Agreed - Germany has a similar north-south issue and NIMBYs protesting against construction of new high-capacity power lines aren't helping.
The alarmism is misplaced, though. There's less excess capacity these days than some are comfortable with and more investments are needed (and ongoing), but we're far from risking blackouts or being reckless. Grid planners are a conservative bunch.
- belorn 5y agoAlarmism about blackouts is indeed bad. The grid planners have enough fossil fueled power plants on reserve (paid through subsidies), and the rising costs from such plans are indication that they are indeed planning ahead. Countries in the northern parts of EU have enough fossil fueled capacity to survive on 0% wind for long periods of time, even in winter, which is somewhat being demonstrated right now. When the wind is up and running again those plants will go back to operate on standby and getting paid to do so. For now it just a money and political issue. Continuing to buy and expand the fossil fuel capacity is not very popular or cheap, and continuing paying for reserve energy through subsidies isn't very popular. The political goal in EU is to reduce those subsidies, through the numbers in the yearly report tend to show the opposite. When faced with the choice of following the political goal and blackouts, grid planners choose a stable grid.