Will blackouts come to Britain?

UnHerd's Freddie Sayers meets Kathryn Porter.

Did the UK only narrowly avoid a blackout last week? Freddie Sayers is joined by energy analyst Kathryn Porter to break down the National Grid numbers and find out how Net Zero might cause blackouts by 2030.

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[HarryBartok-ex]

I left the UK 25 years ago. I live in Texas and own a large solar power plant. As a banker, I have also financed US wind, hydro, solar, coal and gas plants. I used to develop and finance gas, coal and wind power plants in the UK in the 1990s. My boss was a main board director at National Grid and one of my colleagues helped design the UK electricity market. I have also forecast gas and electricity prices in the UK. I used to know the UK market inside out.
I have told people for years that closing the base load plants was idiotic and that net zero represented national suicide. I have also developed coal plants in India and China. Nobody in the power industry globally understands what Britain is trying to do. The political media class has been brainwashed and Milliband and Boris are idiots. They don't understand how any of this works.

[pirulito]

I’m a retired electrician, government approved solar installer and professional diver. I have deep panic sensations in my gut whenever I see Milliband and people like him entranced in their delusional utopia of net zero. My fear is for the disaster that will ultimately affect mostly working class people.

[johnmorris]

This is one of those rare interviews where the expart, Kathryn Porter in this case, explained the facts in a clear and concise manner that can be understood by all. She seems to be very knowledgeable and the government should engage with her a.s.a.p.

[Monkey-fvkm]

I think blackouts would be the final nail in the coffin of this government, and probably net zero in the UK…that being said I am frequently surprised by collective stupidity of people.

[pobishop]

Excellent piece. But it's so sad that we all need to understand this. In the past, we could rely on competent professionals to build and run a reliable and cheap energy infrastructure rather than ideological eco-fantic politicians who know nothing about how to manage an electricity system.

[chrisb]

Absolutely nail on head. Net Zero is just the biggest existential disaster waiting to happen.

[oldgrumpus]

"We live in a society exquisitely dependent on science and technology, in which hardly anyone knows anything about science and technology."
Carl Sagan

[FraserBailey-jmyz]

As I have said for years, Net Zero means zero heating, zero lighting, zero industry, zero transport, zero shops etc etc.

[banboosy]

One of the best videos you’ve done. This woman is absolutely on it. She has all the facts at the ready and is very confident in them. I had no idea we still had to keep gas around if there’s no wind. It makes total sense but what an awful solution. We’re building a duplicate grid. No wonder the prices are through the roof.

[Mickyway]

Britain becomes more like South Africa in so many ways

[paulfranklin]

Simple answer is YES ...
Net zero is impossible...beyond stupidity

[steverichards]

Make this lady the minister for energy asp please !

[gaswork]

What a great interview. Kathryn is not only a very good engineer she can make the complexity understandable. As an old energy engineer this interview cheered me up, I thought I was missing something with the current narrative.

[angelaquesnel]

As a Canadian, this was a good lesson in how these things work. And if the UK is worried about the cold, we are VERY WORRIED. We cannot let our stupid politicians make promises they cannot physically keep!

[Soundcloud]

This should be studied and discussed in every British school, year 11.Thank you so much for this content! This is mind blowing information !

[jacquelinebrunder]

I was an electrical engineer for nearly forty years with thirty of those as chartered and I have helped certify the largest offshore wind farms in the UK, Germany snd the Netherlands and my advice if you have nowhere to put solar panels is buy a 3.5kWh battery, a 3kW charger/inverter and an automatic changeover switch for your power because you are going to need it. If you do have space for solar panels fit them and a hybrid inverter and a battery and ensure your main circuits are wired to the maintained part of the inverter output because you are going to need power when the grid goes down sgain and again and again. The UK and all of Europe is headed to a third world status thanks to ignorant people who believe in climate fraudsters.

[AllenORourke]

I live in the north west of County Durham just below the summat of a 1000ft hill, I went to the top on 15th Jan, looking south and west I counted 29 wind turbines, this was 2pm and none of them were turning and generating electricity as there wasn't a breath of wind, I stood there contemplating the constraint payments the turbine companies were being paid and that I was paying towards it, It's utter insanity and downright theft...

[johnbewick]

Wow. Kathryn Porter certainly opened my eyes to the problems we are facing. I knew Milliband was a danger to our country, but this just shows the scale of his incompetance.

[everidle]

This discussion was more informative than anything I have seen or read on the subject.

[kiviuq]

The interviewee is not only knowledgeable, but eloquent.