Bubbles, Supercycles and the Next Three Big Energy Stories
Comment of the Day

April 15 2011

Commentary by David Fuller

Bubbles, Supercycles and the Next Three Big Energy Stories

David Fuller's view I spent Wednesday and Thursday in the company of some very nice and interesting people when attending and speaking at the Nordic Association of Electricity Traders (NAET) 15th anniversary meeting in Paris. Here is the background PowerPoint for my 2-hour Socratic dialogue presentation. Also posted in the 'Presentations' section upper left, it will give you an idea of what was covered, without the discussions and occasional humour, some of the latter even being intentional.

Suffice it to say that NAET members, who represent all of the Nordic utilities and several other providers from outside the region, know a great deal about electricity supply and demand. This was discussed extensively during the two days. I did not hear one of the 59 NAET delegates say that countries should reduce their nuclear power. That was regarded as an expensive, nonsensical strategy and everyone I spoke to favoured more nuclear power, for both the environment and the future growth of our economies.

Interestingly, Denmark, which I gather is now festooned with windmills, due to Vestas being Danish, has not been able to close a single coal burning power station. The supply of electricity from wind farms is so variable, due to the vagaries of wind that the coal power stations have to remain fully manned as a backup. Also, I was astonished to hear that in order for the EU to meet its carbon credits obligations, it had subsidised many of the windmills built in China!

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