UK’s Largest Power Company Begs Customers Not to Use Electricity During Eclipse

Gosh, wonder why?

Just kidding, just kidding!

I know exactly why, and if you’ve read any of my tons of postings about those Net Zero noodleheads over there, you’ll know, too.

SOLAR DON’T MAKE JUICE WHEN THE SUN DON’T SHINE

And when a country relies on such ungovernable, unreliable, non-dispatchable forms of power generation, this is what happens.

Octopus Energy: Don’t use electricity during solar eclipse

Customers asked to delay using household appliances when Moon blocks out Sun this week

Britain’s biggest energy supplier is urging people to avoiding using electricity during this week’s solar eclipse.

Octopus Energy is asking customers to delay using washing machines, dishwashers and other plug-in devices between 6pm and 8pm on Wednesday, when the Moon is expected to block up to 95pc of sunlight.

The eclipse will send solar generation plunging just as electricity demand begins to rise as millions of people return home from work.

The slump could knock out as much as 1.3 gigawatts (GW) of supply, according to the National Energy System Operator (Neso), which runs Britain’s electricity grid. That is enough electricity to power roughly half a million homes.

Gas-fired power stations will have to be turned on to make up some of the shortfall, alongside other sources of electricity.

While there is no suggesting that the eclipse could trigger outages, Octopus said it was encouraging people to use less energy to negate the need for gas power and so lessen carbon emissions.

The company is offering customers free electricity at a later date if they cut their usage during the eclipse.

And if you believe for two seconds that they aren’t the least bit worried about the impacts of the shortfall, and this is all just an exercise to train and encourage people to ‘cut their usage’ when the vagaries of nature intrude on power generation, I have a lovely pied-à-terre in Brooklyn to sell you they tell me is tax-free.

For whatever lip service to chirpy ‘no worries’ Octopus is selling the British public, what they’ve been doing to brace for this shortfall on the energy markets tells a different story – ‘brace’ being the operative word.

The UK could see a power supply margin shortfall during the solar eclipse on Wednesday amid high demand in the new heatwave that is sweeping through Britain and the rest of Europe this week.

There is no risk to customer supplies, but a notice has been issued to the market and power generators as the eclipse will block sunlight between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. local time on Wednesday evening.

The National Energy System Operator issued a notice today to encourage market actions to increase system margins.

For the period from 18:00 hrs to 20:00 hrs on Wednesday, August 12, there is a reduced system margin, with the system margin shortfall estimated at about 1.2 gigawatts (GW), the operator said.

The current contingency requirement is 676 megawatts (MW), while 1,000 MW of generation is excluded from the available system margin due to system constraints.

The operator warned that Maximum Generation Service may be instructed.

What British consumers will have to brace for, whether it turns into a major event or not, as far as the shortfall goes, is another round of horrific energy spot market prices. The mad scramble is on to purchase enough available power across the continent to cover for it. The problem for Britain is that while it’s nice being an island, the sun shines across all of Europe, and many of the countries that have sold their souls to the climate cult and renewable grift are all facing the exact same two-hour shortfall in what’s turned out to be a devilishly hot summer.

Power was already at a premium, and now, with the eclipse taking even more generation offline, those prices are like the temperatures outside – rocketing skyward. Especially as some strange events have taken some of the critical French nuclear capacity out of production. Wildly, jellyfish swarms have been blocking cooling water intakes, for one thing. 

What is scarce is also expensive – jungle retail rules apply.

BRACE FOR IMPACT

Heat Wave and Solar Eclipse Send Europe Power Prices Soaring

Europe’s power prices are continuing to soar as another heat wave pushes up cooling demand while also curtailing production. Wednesday’s solar eclipse will also dampen solar output.

Intraday power prices in France and Germany peak around €300 per megawatt-hour from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. local time, according to EPEX Spot data. Prices for delivery on Thursday are expected to climb even higher as the heat intensifies.

France’s nuclear fleet, considered the backbone of Europe’s power system, has taken a big hit this summer as high river temperatures have left some plants unable to use the water for cooling, forcing reactors to curb output or shut down. An influx of jellyfish at a site on the country’s northern coast has compounded the problem, knocking out more than 3 gigawatts of generation this week.

The reduction in French nuclear output is also being felt elsewhere in Europe, leaving France with less power available to export to neighboring markets, EON Chief Executive Officer Leonhard Birnbaum said on a press call Wednesday.

…Meanwhile, an eclipse will block solar generation across much of the region later Wednesday. While the impact will vary depending on the timing of the eclipse and the size of each country’s solar fleet, Europe’s output could fall by about 9.7 gigawatts between 7.15 and 9.30 p.m., according to a forecast from Entso-e, the group of European power grid operators.

This is Reuters’ bracing headline.

Europe’s power grids braced for eclipse with extensive backup plans

Talk about your confidence builder!

I remember the good old days – still living them here in Florida, as a matter of fact. You know, when the only thing you have to worry about during a solar eclipse is remembering NOT to look directly at the sun and burn your retinas out.

Good times, good times. Devotion to the climate cult has ruined that for so many.

Back in the UK, the National Energy System Operator (NESO) says they’ve been planning for this for over a year, and they should have a handle on it.

SHOULD

Oh, goody.

…The eclipse will be the largest visible from Britain since 1999. The strongest effect on the energy system will be in western Britain, with solar farms in Wales, Devon and Cornwall expected to see the biggest reductions in output.

Neso has said the eclipse’s impact on the electricity system will be manageable. The quango has been planning for the event for around a year and generators have been told to ensure they have enough capacity available to deal with expected solar shortfalls.

SHOULD

As long as, after they get home from work, no one wants to cook dinner, do laundry, watch the telly, give the kids a bath, or any of the other things busy folks try to knock out between 6 and 8 PM. 

Renewables are fabulous. 

Everyone should be forced to try depending on them.

Just kidding.

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