I see no cliff

Ted Newson has a useful Critic piece on what he calls 'Britain’s energy cliff edge'. Nothing we don't know, but a worthwhile reminder that Andrew Burnham seems intent on driving us over the cliff while denying its existence.


Britain’s energy cliff edge

We shouldn’t sacrifice energy security for social security

Recently PMQs, Andy Burnham said the quiet part out loud. “National security can’t come at the expense of social security,” he told the chamber, to roars from the opposition benches. With the welfare bill expected to reach £400bn by 2030 and Burnham unsteady on a 3 per cent GDP target for military spending, it’s a startling admission but reflected in public spending.

He didn’t have to wait long for a response. Just a week later, at the Global Warming Policy Foundation’s annual lecture, Sir Richard Dearlove — former head of MI6 — used Burnham’s own words against him, warning attendees of the risks facing our current grid system. The ex-spy chief said Britain has “negligently wandered close to a cliff edge” and hearing the PM’s remark left him “in a state of pessimism and extreme concern.”


The whole piece is well worth reading as it emphasises yet again the serious nature of the situation. It's not something we can expect to survive as a developed country without major policy changes. 

So far, Andrew Burnham seems keen to avoid making those changes and relaxed about the likely consequences - the UK ceasing to be a developed country for example.


Moving Britain towards a safer energy system, as Sir Richard advocates, will likely cost money in the short term — switching from a wind-heavy grid to one powered by reliable sources doesn’t come free — but securing the future of the grid requires drastic action. Dearlove put the stakes bluntly: “We have very little industry left to protect and we cannot rebuild non-existent industries which lie in foreign jurisdictions beyond our reach.” A resilient grid is what keeps that industry here at all.

Groundbreaking stuff here

Labour’s race to net zero is driving up bills, warns IFS

Labour's race to net zero is driving up household bills unnecessarily, a think tank has warned.

A goal set by Ed Miliband, the former energy secretary, to decarbonise the electricity grid by 2030 risks "exacerbating" rises in energy bills, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS)...

Taxes and levies on energy bills, excluding VAT, surged by 59pc in real terms between 2017 and 2025, the IFS calculated.

By 2025, these charges made up 23pc of an average household's electricity bill. The Government has since reduced this share to 17pc by shifting some net zero costs to general taxation.

Anyone paying attention knows all this, but the underlying message is that the government machine doesn't care.

Which we also know.  

It's policy and policy comes before reality until it doesn't, and possibly not even then. Until voters realise they could be more effective voting for and against major government policies rather than major political parties, then nothing will change.

But we know that too.

Zack must have a solution for this

An interesting Blackout News report on a major unsolved problem for anyone inclined to pretend that old wind turbine blades can be recycled. They can't - that's the problem. 

As far as we can tell from their speeches and legislation, the keenest minds in European governments have been unaware of this intractable problem for a long time, unlike less enlightened folk who have known about it for years. This tells us something, but it's merely a repeat, something we already know.


Recycling of old rotor blades unsolved: Up to 75,000 tons of GRP waste per year

Berlin – In Germany, the disposal problem of old rotor blades is growing because more and more wind turbines from the expansion years after 2000 are reaching the end of their life. because large parts of the old stock were not designed for a high-quality material cycle. The German government expects 326,000 to 430,000 tonnes of waste from pure GRP sheets by 2040. In individual years, up to 75,000 tons of GRP waste can be generated. In addition, there are up to 212,000 tons of sheets with GRP and CFRP components. These older composite components in particular can only be recycled at great expense.


The whole piece is well worth reading, partly because it's interesting and partly because we may as well assume that yet another subsidy is probably looming over the sustainability horizon, a recycling subsidy. 

The subsidy suspicion arises quite naturally because there are possible ways to recycle, or at least dispose of blades currently reaching the end of their useful lives. Not that their lives have been useful in any meaningful sense beyond political virtue-signalling, but that's another issue.

Crushing and incineration are no substitute for a material cycle

Mechanical processes crush old leaves into flakes, granules or powder. However, the original fibres are not retained in a high-quality form. The cement industry can use crushed material as fuel and mineral substitute for raw materials. Although this reduces the amount to be disposed of, it does not produce new equivalent glass fibers. In Germany, simple landfilling is also largely ruled out, which is why efficient recycling routes are absolutely necessary.

A study by the University of Strathclyde examines a pilot plant with 1,000 kilograms of rotor blade material per day and 365,000 kilograms per year. This results in around 247,100 kilograms of recycled glass fibres per year. The gross costs on a pilot scale are around €5.30 per kilogram of recycled glass fibre. New glass fibers, on the other hand, are estimated by the study at the equivalent of around €1.98 per kilogram. This means that the recovered optical fiber costs more than two and a half times as much as new material in pilot operation. The CO₂ balance is also worse at first: Recycled glass fiber causes 2.24 kilograms of CO₂ per kilogram, while new glass fiber causes 1.90 kilograms of CO₂ per kilogram.

Early Closing

Major UK-funded climate project in Bangladesh to close over aid cuts

A UK-funded climate project in Bangladesh is being forced to close two years early after foreign aid cuts, leaving thousands of vulnerable people without support and threatening to undo work that has already been carried out, The Independent has learnt...

Practical Action was supposed to have received £2.2m by 2026, but ended up receiving “far less than this”, says Rahma. The project was supposed to reach 57,000 people by the end of this year, but will in the end only reach 37,000 people.

“This abrupt cut has threatened our reputation in the community, which we have carefully built up over the past two and a half years,” Rahma says. “It has also impacted the long-term stability of the interventions that we have made, and limited our ability to plan for an effective exit.”


Not that we are supposed to make sense of emotional string-pullers like this, but how do we make sense of -

“It has also impacted the long-term stability of the interventions that we have made, and limited our ability to plan for an effective exit.”

The reference to "long-term stability" does suggest that there was no great appetite for "an effective exit" or any exit at all as long as the money kept coming it. Long-term stability of the funding perhaps.

HF

From Blackout News. 

Large storage system batteries can release dangerous amounts of hydrogen fluoride gas (HF) if a thermal runaway fire occurs. It sounds as if it is caused by thermal degradation of the PVDF (polyvinylidene fluoride) binder in the cathode. These are computed scenarios, but do firefighters need to know more chemistry now? 

Battery fire in the data center: Study simulates high hydrogen fluoride contamination

Singapore – A technical study published on July 31, 2026, examines a battery fire in a 485.52 kWh NMC storage system at the Equinix SG4-4A data center. The researchers modeled 10,000 cases of a complete thermal runaway and took into account ventilation, extinguishing and the division of the storage tank. In all simulations, hydrogen fluoride exposure exceeded the NIOSH hazard value for concentrations that are immediately hazardous to life or health. However, there were no real victims or damage, because the investigation mathematically maps a possible accident scenario. Therefore, the study focuses on the effect of technical protection systems.

Battery fire releases toxic hydrogen fluoride

A thermal runaway occurs when a battery cell heats up in a self-reinforcing manner and triggers further chemical reactions. In the process, neighboring cells can also fail, while toxic and flammable gases are produced. In the NMC cells studied, this includes hydrogen fluoride, or HF for short. NIOSH sets the IDLH threshold for HF at 25 milligrams per cubic meter, or 30 ppm. Therefore, a quick evacuation of closed battery compartments is crucial.

The simulation calculated an average of 1,161 milligrams of HF per cubic metre for ten minutes of exposure in the one-room model. In the two-room model, the value dropped to 580 milligrams, but remained well above the IDLH threshold. A battery fire of this magnitude could therefore make the affected room inaccessible to emergency services without suitable respiratory protection. The mean time to fall below the limit value fell from 599 to 301 minutes as a result of the split. Even the cheaper concept thus took around five hours mathematically.

The Kakistocracy

David King has a whimsical Quadrant piece on Australia as a Kakistocracy, entangled as it still is in Net Zero and the the ludicrous folly of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS).

The whole piece is well worth reading as we in the UK wonder if Miatta Fahnbulleh will turn out to be merely another servant of the UK Kakistocracy and  just as absurdly destructive as Ed Miliband.

An Ironic Blessing of ‘Atrocious Science’

While the tide finally seems to be turning in regard to realization of the futility of “Net Zero” – not only on economic grounds, but also because there is compelling scientific evidence that if accomplished it would have negligible effect on climate – there is an obstinate vocal rump who cannot, or just do not want to accept the scientific reality. Not least amongst them are our Chris Bowen and the UK’s Ed Milliband, two ministers driving policy agendas that amount to economic euthanasia.

The case against anthropogenic emissions having a material effect on climate spans observational data, theoretical analysis, and empirical (laboratory) testing ( see The Science is Settled); counter arguments appear to rely entirely on computer modeling of temperature even though model predictions have failed to match observed temperatures in both forecast and, surprisingly, hindcast. Sadly, persistence with with decarbonization/net zero policy agendas suggests that my earlier assessment that the Lucky Country is now a Kakistocracy (Green Idiocy’s Consequences) is increasingly apposite. These agendas have polluted our taxation systems, education priorities, corporate reporting obligations, research funding priorities, and more.

Eco-friendly flats

 

Gamble as we say, not as we do

 

Labour to introduce affordability checks for gamblers

Labour is set to forge ahead with financial checks on gambling customers who suffer heavy losses, setting up a clash with bookmakers who oppose the move.

The Gambling Commission is expected to confirm proposals on Tuesday morning to introduce financial risk assessments on online gamblers who lose large sums, including those spending more than £1,000 in a single day.

Political theatre collides with reality - reality wins

Mannheim says goodbye to the 2030 climate target – political target fails due to reality

According to a recent assessment by the city administration, Mannheim is saying goodbye to its climate target for 2030. The Committee for Environment and Technology was informed about this on 9 June 2026. The city wanted to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by at least 80 percent compared to 1990. By 2023, however, it had only achieved a reduction of 40 percent. Now there is a lack of money, personnel and sufficient possibilities for intervention. Industry in particular is largely evading municipal control. Existing projects are still running, but the central target no longer has a reliable basis.

Climate target was based on political assumptions instead of secure planning

The municipal council adopted the climate protection action plan in November 2022. At that time, SPD Mayor Peter Kurz led the city administration. The plan included 81 measures and more than 300 individual activities. Mannheim wanted to become a European pioneer city. However, neither all the financial resources nor the necessary technical capacities had been determined. Politicians declared a desired result to be the goal before they had fully secured its implementation.

Reality wins, as it will in Ed Miliband's shabby little huckster's theatre, but we're still paying the price of admission. Maybe he'll change the scenery and rewrite the ending if the audience becomes too restless.

Or maybe Andrew Burnham will do something constructive.

Or maybe pigs will learn to fly.

Out on the tiles

Deadly danger: Employers' liability insurance association warns of solar boom risks

A total of 74 workers died on German construction sites in 2025. Of these, 26 died as a result of a crash. 15 of these fatal accidents occurred on roofs. The employers' liability insurance association therefore warns of additional dangers due to the boom in photovoltaic systems. This is because more and more fitters, electricians and maintenance workers are working on hard-to-reach roof surfaces. Missing fuses, brittle components and unsuitable access can have fatal consequences there...

Photovoltaic systems take more workers to dangerous heights

Roofs have long since ceased to protect buildings from wind and precipitation. They now also serve as locations for photovoltaic systems and other technical facilities. As a result, assembly, maintenance, repair and cleaning work increases significantly. However, many solar panels are located in areas that are difficult for workers to reach.


When we had a new roof last year, the roofer told us we should contact him before installing solar panels as he'd come across a number of dodgy solar installations. Cowboy installers drilling through roof tiles for example, or not replacing tiles correctly.

Not that we intend to have solar panels on our nice new roof.

Chris Uhlmann on Australia's energy transition

 

It’s impossible to say anything polite about Mr Miliband’s politicking

Andrew Montford has an interesting Net Zero Watch piece on the cynical way Ed Miliband disguises the costs of Net Zero.

The cynicism of the Secretary of State

Ed Miliband’s decision, announced towards the end of last year, to move three quarters of the cost of Renewables Obligation subsidies to general taxation was a move of profound political cynicism. In this post, I’ll try to explain why.

At first sight the move was an attempt to relieve the cost-of-living burden on consumers, albeit a moderately duplicitous one in that it simply shifted the burden from a household’s electricity bill to its tax bill. However, the decision to move only three quarters of the cost seemed strange – why not all of it?

The whole piece is well worth reading as yet another insight into Keir Starmer's choice for the role of Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero.

It’s impossible to say anything polite about Mr Miliband’s politicking. The story reveals a man whose objective has been to screw the public, to disguise the fact that he is doing so, and then to leave a depth charge for the next government, apparently for his own entertainment. It’s the kind of thing that might seem clever to a student politician, but is simply unbecoming for a minister of the Crown.

Another one goes up

Huge recycling centre fire by railway near London Bridge sparks travel chaos

Huge plumes of smoke can be seen for miles over south London after a waste dump fire brought rush hour to a standstill.

Thick black smoke pours out of a recycling centre between London Bridge and Dartford shutting all lines between the stations on Monday evening.

A train driver told passengers the fire erupted at a factory around 5.30pm.

Commuters stuck at London Bridge reported a ‘strong smell of burning around the station’.

A cynical chap is bound to wonder if recycling centres are sustainable.

Dodgy EV Fire Data

Filed under "What could possibly go wrong?"

New proposals to cut bills with community batteries

• Families and businesses could benefit from cheaper energy through the use of community batteries.Families could save on bills by storing cheaper renewable able electricity and using it when demand is highest
• Call for evidence launched to explore how community batteries can be rolled out at to support working people, including renters or those living in flats, to save money
• Part of the biggest investment in community energy in UK history, giving people a stake in local clean power projects and reducing reliance on volatile fossil fuels

A call for evidence launched today (Thursday 4 June) will seek to unlock barriers so shared battery storage can be rolled out across the UK, helping communities store locally generated renewable energy and pass on the savings to households.

Green Data Centres Go AWOL

 

Government slammed for failure on hyperscale data centre emissions

The Scottish Government faces urgent calls to address "major shortcomings" in its data centre policy, as Action to Protect Rural Scotland (APRS) alleges a critical failure to account for the emissions of hyperscale AI facilities in assessments of "green data centres" and their contribution to climate targets.

Kat Jones, director of APRS, branded the situation "pretty shocking". The government’s NPF4 national planning framework states that "green data centres" will have an "overall negligible impact" on Scotland’s emissions reduction goals.


A chap is bound to wonder what a "green data centre" might look like within the strange, mysterious and eerily mystical minds of Green folk.  

  

Use of an abacus, as illustrated in
Margarita philosophica (1503)
Source

Floaters

Labour plans to blanket lakes with floating solar farms

Ed Miliband is preparing to blanket reservoirs and lakes with solar farms as part of Labour’s push towards net zero.

The Energy Secretary will launch a consultation to make it easier to build floating solar power plants, after a report that hailed their potential as a clean energy source.

Floating solar schemes use the same panels as land-based projects but are mounted on platforms floated in freshwater bodies such as reservoirs, lakes, quarry lakes and industrial ponds.

There is a hint of desperation about this, but also revenge against those who know Net Zero can't work and Ed Miliband is mad or bad and probably both.

Investing in Indulgences

Paraguay expects over US$1 billion in Singapore carbon credit investments

Paraguay's government expects investments from Singapore in carbon credit projects to exceed $1 billion, Environment and Sustainable Development Minister Rolando De Barros said on Wednesday, as a delegation from the Asian nation visited Asunción led by Sustainability and Environment Minister Grace Fu Hai Yen, accompanied by 20 business executives.

De Barros said President Santiago Peña received the delegation and expressed confidence that if “all processes of interest with Singapore are completed, more than $1 billion can be generated between both governments,” without specifying a timeline for the investments, EFE reported.

A chap is bound to wonder if Ed Miliband has looked into this. Would it be cheaper and less destructive to replace the entire UK Net Zero policy with bits of paper purchased from Paraguay?

A shining example of net zero policy.

Hydrogen boiler scheme handed £25m taxpayer cash uses tech that 'is not proven'

The two-year H100 pilot in Methil, Fife, by SGN, was previously hailed by John Swinney as a “shining example” of net zero policy.

A hydrogen boiler scheme handed £25million of taxpayers’ cash has been branded an unviable “policy misstep” after UK ministers admitted the technology is unproven. The two-year H100 pilot in Methil, Fife, by SGN, previously hailed by John Swinney as a “shining example” of net zero policy, has seen 300 homes switch to hydrogen for cooking and heating...

Prof Baxter claimed he was asked to leave when he tried to raise his concerns at a meeting of the Scottish Affairs Committee at Westminster in 2022. He added: “Hydrogen for home heating was a misstep that should never have progressed beyond early exploration."

Follow the money. Such a useful phrase.

Hot Topic

Victory for the Mail on Sunday as emergency services start tracking cause of fires in hybrid cars

Emergency services are overhauling how they investigate accidents involving hybrid cars after The Mail on Sunday revealed that motorists are three times more likely to die in hybrids than in petrol cars...

A total of 122 people died in hybrid car crashes in 2024, compared with 777 in accidents involving petrol cars, according to Department for Transport figures analysed by the MoS.

But as hybrids are outnumbered by almost 20 to 1 on Britain’s roads by petrol models, that means hybrids are three times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash. Previously, the Government did not accept that there is a problem.