It is commonplace nowadays to talk of a looming energy gap and the prospect of a second so-called “dash for gas” to address it. But could that gap evolve into a full blown crisis? That is the question posed by When Will the Lights Go Out? a new book published as part the “Independent Minds” series.
The book’s author, Derek Birkett, a chartered electrical engineer who worked on coal, hydroelectric and nuclear projects, has broken cover following his retirement to question the wisdom of British energy policy in the wake of climate change obligations.
He questions the workability of targets to produce significant chunks of electricity from renewable energy and the efficacy of wind power, an argument spurred on by what he felt was a wrong-headed project to develop a wind farm near his home in Scotland. He insists, however, that this is not Nimbyism: “This was not just an ascetic revulsion with landscape desecration but a disastrous direction of energy policy.”
The book offers a message that will be seen as heresy by many leaning to the left – “forget renewables” – and especially the Scottish Executive. Blackouts, as Birkett points out, would lead to civil unrest and prevent society from functioning, so if his theories are correct, the book is alarming.
Whether you agree with his thesis that global warming concerns are “dubious” will probably influence the degree to which you warm to his overall argument. A thought-provoking read.
- When will the lights go out? is published by Stacey International, priced £9.99.