CPS Research Fellow and author of ‘The Atomic Clock‘ Tony Lodge was published on the letters page of The Daily Telegraph, Tuesday 21 October 2014.
SIR – The closure of Didcot B power station due to a fire could have a serious impact on electricity prices and supplies in an already tight situation.
In the past eight months six large power plants, representing just under 12 per cent of our peak electricity-generating capacity, have closed unexpectedly due to fires or mechanical breakdowns. Even before five of these closures, Ofgem warned that electricity-generating margins could drop below 2 per cent in the winter of 2015/16.
The Government must better incentivise remaining power plant operations, starting by removing the high carbon price floor tax, which could result in the early closure of up to 10 coal-fired power stations over the next five years.
Date Added: Tuesday 21st October 2014