Obsession with subsidies

I thank Duncan Lee for his thoughtful response (22/1/16) and recognition that without highly efficient, high capacity energy storage, renewables have restricted practical use; even Musk's inspirational Tesla solar/wind-rechargable battery is aimed at limited off-grid, third-world use.
By The Newsroom
Published 1st Feb 2016, 13:09 BST

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Meanwhile, developed nations urgently need conventional energy to build such dreams: try smelting aluminium or steel using batteries!

The obsession with state subsidies is worrying.

Britain became the industrial and economic power-house of the world through inspired entrepreneurs whose only state subsidies were Letters Patent and Royal Navy protection of oceanic trade routes.

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Since WW2, our world-shaping enterprises have suffered endless political interference through nationalisation (steel, railways, power) supported by bottomless coffers of tax-payer’s money.

Any fool can squander another’s money for political goals – CAP and Feed-in-Tariff proves it – for those least needy (those with capital to install £20,000+ solar panels and build power stations) receive the most subsidy from eco-inflated bills on the poorest, who can least afford solar panels and traction batteries!

Government subsidy on Britain’s new nuclear power station is a consequence of 18-years of Labour and (wind-obsessed) Dim-Lib procrastination over urgent replacement of our aging power-stations, resulting in Westinghouse (Britain’s world-leader in nuclear power engineering) being sold in desperation to the Japanese.

Now, without guaranteed equitable subsidies and watertight contracts to prevent government cancellation, no company in their right mind would independently build our urgently needed new power-stations!

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At least the Tories bit the bullet, committing to keep Britain’s lights on and factories working ‘24/7’ (remember the three-day week?) and will end Labour’s folly of eco-taxing Britain’s smelting industries out of existence.

If battery-powered houses, cars and factories are the only realistic future, then investors would unhesitatingly leap in, reaping rightful dividends, without any demand for government subsidies – yet multi-millionaire Elon Musk demands colossal US dollar subsidies to fund his (soon to be obsolete) Tesla battery project!

I wonder if Duncan has the courage and faith to fully disconnect his office and factory from the National Grid and run them entirely off his own solar cells and traction batteries? Let us know how you get on!

Barry M Jones

Bixley Lane

Beckley

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Related topics:Elon MuskBritainTeslaCAPRoyal Navy