Report: ‘Net-zero’ Britain will struggle to keep the lights on

Britain’s energy transition could create a new normal where the country struggles to keep the lights on, according to a report from Parliament’s Business Select Committee.

As the Telegraph reports:

Britain will struggle to keep the lights on using only net zero electricity as the roll-out of green energy lags far behind target, MPs have warned.

Falling investor confidence and bureaucratic delays mean Britain’s efforts to produce entirely clean electricity are at risk of stalling, MPs on the cross-party Business Select Committee said.

They are calling on the government to come up with a “coherent, overarching plan” to boost green supplies — or risk missing climate targets.

The parlimentary report deals with the same risks Michigan politicians are taking with a peremptory switch from robust to negligible energy sources.

Like the U.K., Michigan goes beyond just trying to increase the use of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar. The state is quickly retiring reliable energy sources like coal and nuclear, with no plan to make up that loss with energy generated from renewable sources.

Michigan is also facing a darker, colder new normal. After back-to-back storms in February and March knocked out power for millions of people, Michigan lawmakers swore change was coming.

But rather than shore up grid reliability or open the market for energy competition, lawmakers have gone in the opposite direction. Senate Bill 271, submitted April 19 by Sen. Erika Geiss, D-Taylor, would mandate that Michigan electric providers to move to a 100% renewable portfolio by 2035.

To the extent Michigan lawmakers have taken action at all, their actions would weaken the grid, not strengthen it.

This comes as Gov. Gretchen Whitmer wants to build out the infrastructure for two million electric vehicles on Michigan roads by 2030, and U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm envisions an all-EV military fleet by 2030.