It’s hardly surprising that we’re facing blackouts. The National Grid has been aware that this winter was going to be an issue since 2014, yet very little has been done about it. The government is now approaching the crisis by engaging the big four and subsidies, as if we are stuck in the 70s or 80s. That is only scratching the surface.
In reality, there is simply not enough energy to cope with growing demands, compounded with acceleration to move away from gas. More renewables is not an immediate answer either as Europe lacks the space for large solar parks and other solutions, and this takes time.
The only long-term solution with immediate effect, is to reduce overall energy consumption, and this can be achieved with the implementation of demand side response (DSR) programmes. The lack of support these have received by the government means many businesses, who may be affected by the blackout, are unaware of their existence, and the role they can play in cutting non-essential electricity consumption, CO2 emissions and energy bills.
