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EU rule kept half a million homes in the dark
The Times ^ | 7/4/2008 | Robin Pagnamenta

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 UK’s power network in more than 20 years, prompting new concerns over the stability of Britain’s ageing power grid.

However, industry sources say that a key factor was the European Union’s Large Combustion Plant Directive (LCPD), which sets strict limits on the number of hours that some of Britain’s 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 don’t want to turn these plants on unless prices are high enough to justify firing them up. It’s another factor that is affecting the quality and reliability of the system.”

(Excerpt) Read more at business.timesonline.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: energy; environment; eu; europe

1 posted on 07/04/2008 4:19:56 PM PDT by bruinbirdman
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To: bruinbirdman

The Brits shot themselves in the foot getting hooked into the EU.


2 posted on 07/04/2008 4:26:18 PM PDT by SECURE AMERICA (Got Freedom ? Thank a Veteran.........)
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To: 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

America's future with Obama (God forbid) as President.

3 posted on 07/04/2008 4:27:06 PM PDT by Libertarianize the GOP (Make all taxes truly voluntary)
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To: bruinbirdman

Shades of things to come?


4 posted on 07/04/2008 4:27:46 PM PDT by SouthTexas (Invert the 5-4 and you have no rights.)
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To: bruinbirdman

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)


5 posted on 07/04/2008 4:29:16 PM PDT by calex59
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To: bruinbirdman

Husseins plan for America....with volunteers!


6 posted on 07/04/2008 4:31:37 PM PDT by Coffee200am
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To: SouthTexas

All socialists love the poor. That’s why they work so hard to make more people poor.


7 posted on 07/04/2008 4:40:38 PM PDT by USFRIENDINVICTORIA
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To: Libertarianize the GOP; SouthTexas

Been there done that here in California.

And in all likelihood will be doing it again...


8 posted on 07/04/2008 4:51:38 PM PDT by DB
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To: bruinbirdman

Between the mooselimbs and power-mad bureaucrats, Europe is doomed.


9 posted on 07/04/2008 5:05:53 PM PDT by clee1 (We use 43 muscles to frown, 17 to smile, and 2 to pull a trigger. I'm lazy and I'm tired of smiling.)
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To: bruinbirdman
GOOD... let-em live in the dark for voting these useless eaters into office.
10 posted on 07/04/2008 5:11:10 PM PDT by Chode (American Hedonist ©® - CTHULHU/SHOGGOTH '08 = Nothing LESS!!!)
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To: bruinbirdman

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.


11 posted on 07/04/2008 7:05:24 PM PDT by ken21 ( people die + you never hear from them again.)
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To: bruinbirdman

bump


12 posted on 07/04/2008 7:26:54 PM PDT by lowbridge ("I have never learned to fight for my freedom. I was only good at enjoying it" - Van Den Boogaard)
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To: bruinbirdman

Insanity


13 posted on 07/04/2008 8:39:02 PM PDT by BenLurkin
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