Seemingly without knowing anything significant about energy, or the systems used to produce it, James Delingpole makes several key blunders, in my view, in his latest rant :-
https://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/jamesdelingpole/100048905/we-need-to-talk-about-wind-farms/
“We need to talk about wind farms…” : By James Delingpole : July 28th, 2010
I know the cure for his error-riddled beliefs ! Send some real live energy engineers to his office to talk to him about their industry.
I’m sure the thought of several serious and strangely bearded, slightly obsessive individuals coming to actually talk to him about wind power might be a cue for him to actually start doing some research.
After all, it is well-known in energy circles that, from calculations by Dr Gregor Czisch, based on his extensive modelling, a Supergrid of Renewable power across Europe would bring the price of electricity down to a little under 5 eurocents a kilowatt hour.
Down ? That’s right, down :-
https://blogs.ft.com/energy-source/2010/07/13/gregor-czisch-on-the-super-grid/
“The overall cost of electricity calculated for the base case scenario is 4.6 Euro cent/kWh. This can be compared to the 6-10 cents/kWh we are paying at the electricity market (EEX) for consumption shaped electricity today. This outcome is very encouraging: with a proper mix of renewable energies and a super-grid infrastructure embracing Europe, North Africa and smaller parts of Siberia, we can provide electricity to all countries at a lower cost than today, freeing the system from fossil or nuclear fuels and with no more substantial impact on the environment.”
What does James think ? James’ rather lame opinion is this : he thinks wind power “doesn’t work”. He’s rather dismissive about solar power too.
And his opinion is backed up by which credentials from which engineering academy, energy firm or technical university ?
He certainly hasn’t studied the Science of Climate Change. About Global Warming he writes : ” …it stopped in 1998. Global cooling is a much more imminent and serious problem…” This view of his is completely unsubstantiated by the data.
If a couple of strange-looking men appear at your door in the near future, James, it will because they are wind power engineers who want to take you up on your offer of talking about aeolian energy and how to harness it to generate electricity.