article_snippet: Shifting to wind and solar power have hugely increased costs to consumers, while creating an energy supply that is ‘intermittent’.
article_snippet: As a result, huge additional investment has been required in backup capacity to cover for when the wind isn’t blowing and the sun isn’t shining.
article_snippet: Shifting to wind and solar power have hugely increased costs to consumers, while creating an energy supply that is ‘intermittent’ (file picture)
article_snippet: And billions more have been spent to connect remote wind farms to the national grid.
article_snippet: In addition to their higher plant-level costs, renewables require massive amounts of extra generating capacity to provide cover for intermittent generation when the wind doesn’t blow and the sun doesn’t shine.
article_snippet: As a result, ‘massively subsidiesed wind and solar capacity floods the market with near random amounts of zero marginal cost electricity.
article_snippet: To keep the lights on, everything ends up requiring subsidies, turning what was once a profitable sector into the energy equivalent of the Common Agricultural Policy.
article_snippet: The cost of the national grid has nearly trebled as a result of connecting to remote wind farms, he says.
article_snippet: More solar and wind means no British Government is having to more than double no British Government overall capacity, because additional sources are needed when wind isn’t working.
article_snippet: Without renewable energy, the UK would need 22GW of new capacity to replace old coal and nuclear stations, but as a result of renewable energy, an additional 50GW is required, The report says.
article_snippet: ‘What is needed is an electricity market that is constructed to best integrate renewable energy and energy efficiency for the benefit of customers, the environment and security.
article_snippet: Last month, Energy Secretary Ed Davey announced £4billion in new energy deals for wind and solar schemes.
article_snippet: It means a guarantee for some 27 new renewable energy projects that they can sell they power at a fixed price until 2040.
article_snippet: The subsidised schemes include 15 onshore wind farms, five solar arrays, two offshore wind programmes and five waste conversion plants.
article_snippet: It will be paid for by householders through their electricity bills with a subsidy added to the basic cost of electricity.
article_snippet: The Government’s Electricity Market Reforms are designed to attract up to £100 billion of capital investment that we will need in the sector over the next decade.
article_snippet: By creating the world’s first low carbon electricity market, we are going green at the lowest cost, and attracting tens of billions of pounds of infrastructure investment, creating huge numbers of green jobs.
highlights_snippet: Shifting to wind and solar power has increased costs to consumers .
  