And then they came two by two

I find it impossible to write about wind farms now, not that there isn’t much to write but because there is so much. We have Scottish Government, The Highland Council, Westminster, National Grid, Ofgem, the new Energy Infrastructure Tsar(sorry Commissioner), The New Energy Act 2023 which is in the Lords right now and everyone of them bowing to their God head Net Zero. As with the likes of the Taliban there is no appeasing the Net Zero zealots. So where does that leave the ‘little’ people. That is a good question. I think the Covid pandemic empowered Politicians and even more so Civil servants to ride roughshod over basic law and basic humanity. Like all religions in history the end justifies the means.

So where do we go from here. The Guardian, that left wing guardian, last week suggested that the Pylons were the next big area of conflict with Net Zero. Reality is dawning in the corridors of power but not on a moral front but a financial one. Simply said we cannot afford Net Zero. The Elizabeth Line(Crossrail), HS2, the 500% increase in electricity distribution infrastructure, myriad of 200m wind farms all reliant on subsidy(often in the form of constraint payments), the farce of electric cars and lack of charging facilities which that Industry now reliant of subsidy(the electricity industry) expects HMG to magically find a few more £billions for. We basically bankrupted the UK over Covid and the bank has run dry. You cannot continue to borrow money at this rate or the pound will have no value. At the present time the National Debt is £2.5 trillion which equates to £38,000 for every man, woman and child in the United Kingdom. Repayment on that debt is £9.8 billion per annum. With that in mind can the UK afford the £ billions of extra infrastructure of the electricity network, presently estimated between £381 billion and £1.4 trillion(the last figure offset by savings[?] of £1.1 trillion). On our experience with all major projects we would suggest this as a optimistic forecast. If our coffers were overflowing and migration was under control this might just be about doable. In our present position – Nah!

So the Councils tinker with 20mph zones, the Mayor of London has his Ulez which is a proverbial lead balloon. We promote EV which we can’t really afford and drop like the proverbial stone in value as they drive off the forecourt. No one seems to have the balls to stand up and say NO! This is madness.

The PM has reacted to Net Zero and cars but there is an elephant in the room that no one has mentioned. As EV ownership reaches a critical mass, not only is fuel tax revenue or the reduction of it going to become an issue, but the profitability of petrol and diesels forecourts will mean a large reduction in petrol station throughout the land and especially in remote rural areas, those for which EVs are least suitable. Those advocating road charging will be rubbing their hand in glee and we can fail to realise that this new technology will cost far more to the car driver and push many of the poorer in our communities away from personal transport. The Old and the Poor will be those that suffer a drastic reduction in their quality of life and their mental wellbeing trapped within 25 minute cities. Not the High Tech ones of planners dreams but the ghettoes of the poor and disenfranchised.

So that is why I am effectively lost for words, shuddering at every wind farm proposition, despondent at every pylon line, angry at every lie from the energy industry, staggered by the arrogance of politicians, planners and corporate bodies that demand to over-ride local democracy and planning law and weeping for the desecration of our land either for an EU wet dream of every country having a Hi Speed rail link (TEN-T) which for the UK is the vanity project we call HS2 or the planned desecration of the Highland of Scotland, and in reality parts of East Anglia, to provide excessive levels of power to London and the SE of England to power their EVs, I-pads, air source heat pumps and the plethora of things that a 21st century urbanite cannot do without and the surpluses to be sold to other EU countries that have seen the light and rolled back on their Net Zero ambitions. That is assuming anyone wants to buy our excess electricity. As technology changes and alternatives such as SMRs become available the UK may have three white elephants blighting our landscape. A dysfunctional and uneconomic HS2 which goes from nowhere to nowhere, a million rusting and disused wind turbines and a string of un wanted and in fact not needed towers and pylons destroying our Scottish, and East Anglian,Tourist Industries.

Oh and whilst about it why not destroy farming for solar farms, re-wilding and tree planting so that those urbanites, tired of city life, that move to the Country and price locals from the housing market don’t have to endure the flatulence of cows and the crow of the Cockerel and don’t have to endure abuse from those rural types when their dogs attack sheep and they leave the gates open after their country ramble. Much better for the Politicians to force all from farming and grow our beef in a factory. Even if it costs five times as much!