Letter Andrew Warren: Why do people like Jenifer Baxter of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers automatically respond to the revelation that a nuclear power station is delayed again by arguing that other power stations will need to fill the gap? When Hinkley Point C was initially mooted in 2006, electricity consumption levels were being forecast to increase by over 15% in the ensuing decade, but demand has actually dropped by 15.2% in 10 years. This consumption revolution has been prompted by vastly improved electricity efficiency in industry, in consumer white and brown goods, and in areas like lighting, where household consumption has dropped from 20.7 terrawatt hours (TWh) in 2007 to 14.2TWh this year. The real question is: is all this expenditure on energy supply really necessary?
Guardian 5th July 2017 read more »