Cheaper energy comes up trumps

I have often argued that cheaper energy available in plentiful supply is crucial to any industrial strategy. Much of industry needs large quantities of energy to heat, cool, transform materials and power machine tools. Petrochemicals needs fossil fuels as feedstock. Many manufactures contain fractions of oil transformed into materials.

President Trump oversaw a major expansion of domestic oil and gas production in his Ā first term. This helped keep prices of energy, especially gas, lower in the US. It gave US industry a huge competitive boost compared to the U.K. and EU.

When Putin invaded Ukraine the EU was desperate to replace Russian gas and oil with imports from elsewhere. The Trump increased output saved them as the US made available more exports to them.

The U.K. has substantial potential resources both on and offshore but this government is determined to keep them in the ground. It means we import instead. All that tax revenue and Ā well paid jobs go abroad.World CO 2 goes up. It is a deeply damaging economic policy and a stupid environmental one. Will President Trump persuade Ā the U.K. government to copy his America First example?

129 Comments

  1. Mark B
    November 7, 2024

    Good morning.

    And congratulations to President Trump on his second, or is it third, victory.

    Will President Trump persuade the U.K. government to copy his America First example?

    No ! We have here in UK Eco-religous zealots. Not only that, all the laws and agreements with the EU have been crafted with combating Climate Change (SCAM). We are in a bind of our political classes making.

    We are going full on South Africa.

    1. Wanderer
      November 7, 2024

      +1. Yes, unthinkable they will “drill baby, drill” here. Instead they will tut-tut at Trump, while buying his hydrocarbons. At least ours are still underground/sea for our future use – if the zealots had a means of destroying our reserves, they would do so.

      1. Lifelogic
        November 7, 2024

        +1

      2. Narrow Shoulders
        November 7, 2024

        All the while that carbon accounting lets us offset our usage by buying in from elsewhere we will continue to claim that we are a “carbon reducing country”.

        Carbon is either bad and its use should be curtailed (unlikely but a good soundbite for politicians) or its not and we can continue to use it (as suggested by carbon accounting).

        If we are going to use carbon (and we should because it is the cheapest form of gas and electricity production when all factors are considered) then we should produce as much of our own as possible.

        There is no climate crisis, there is just a change in the weather due to the sun’s activity.

        1. Mickey Taking
          November 7, 2024

          and volcanoes above and below sea-level. Amazon forest clearing ….

          1. Lynn Atkinson
            November 7, 2024

            Amazon forests are cleared to grow beef as we refuse to but their mahogany. So itā€™s just burned, not replanted. We make houses out of green softwood instead which warps and twists and letā€™s all the expensive heat out.
            We are in the hands of fools. Every legislative intervention is a disaster.

          2. Mickey Taking
            November 8, 2024

            Lynn,
            We don’t buy Mahogany due to the outrageous price continuing over quite some years.
            It was never a political judgement.

    2. Ian B
      November 7, 2024

      @Mark B +1
      Then again the EU’s Industrial heart has no such laws to curtail its emissions, they thrive on cheap energy. Even VW owns its own coal fired power stations to keep its lights on.

      1. Berkshire Alan
        November 7, 2024

        Ian B

        Ford at Dagenham used to have its own steel furnaces where they cast their own engine cylinder blocks, and other components way back in the 1960’s.

    3. Lifelogic
      November 7, 2024

      So moronic and lacking in science, economics, logic, intelligence and engineering are our MPs that all but a handful voted for Milibands Climate Chance Lunacy and May’s net zero lunacy was just nodded through. All PMs since Thatcher have followed this mad religion. Even Thatcher fell for it at one point.

      Now this dire woman Theresa May and appalling PM is in the Lords. In politics group think failure and stupidity pays off. Telling the truth like Bridgen and JR rarely does.

  2. agricola
    November 7, 2024

    Yes cheap energy from sources under ones own control are essential to industrial survival, and therefore the enhancement of individuals quality of life.

    The insanity of political thinking in the UK is the delusion that we can do without it. The longer we do the further down the personal GDP world league table we fall.

    The greatest advantage Donald Trump has is that he is not a politician, who have become a tainted species on both sides of the Atlantic, visible by their abject failure to achieve anything useful. Running a country is a busines, not an outlet for political fantasy.

    What a joy it was to see the distraught disarray on the faces of the guardianista media commenteriati, as the reality of the Donalds success dawned on them. They had gone to the USA to celebrate their cause, and were left ravaged as the people spoke. Additionally it left our own government in disarray, their hollow congratulations desperately attempting to balance their previous bile on the subject of Donald Trump. In a sense it was the writing on the wall for their continued existence, and cannot come soon enough. It bodes well for Nigel Farage, another essentially businessman who can see beyond the crapfest that is Westminster, and those that sail in her, to the exclusion of reality. It is now rats in a hayrick time as the height of said hayrick falls and the panic of facing the terriers gets closer. Amen to to all that.šŸ˜‚

    1. Lifelogic
      November 7, 2024

      ā€œWhat a joy it was to see the distraught disarray on the faces of the guardianista media commenteriati, as the reality of the Donalds success dawned on them.ā€

      Indeed it upset all the right people all those deluded net zero loons, the BBC types and celebs in ā€œThe Artsā€ and the daft William Hague, Rory Stewartā€¦

      1. Lifelogic
        November 7, 2024

        Alastair Campbell, Lammy, May, Milibrain, the green loons, the LibDims, SNP, Plaid, almost the whole of the. BBC, SkY, Channel 4ā€¦

        1. Sharon
          November 7, 2024

          LL
          Utterly embarrassing!

        2. IanT
          November 7, 2024

          Watching the faces of BBC Presenters as the US election results became clear, gave me fond memories of Brexit Night for some reason! I have no idea what a Trump Presidency might bring but let’s enjoy life’s small pleasures!

        3. a-tracy
          November 7, 2024

          You missed Khan, he’s livid.

      2. Lynn Atkinson
        November 7, 2024

        šŸ‘ŒšŸ„³

    2. Donna
      November 7, 2024

      Farage: Businessman in our premier industry
      Tice: Entrepreneur and businessman
      Lowe: Businessman
      Zia Zusuf: Entrepreneur and businessman
      Anderson: Working class, private sector
      McMurdock: Private sector, experienced in our premier industry

      And that is the kind of people they are recruiting as candidates.

      Now look at Labour: Almost exclusively public sector; Quangos and Charity-Quangos. And the NaCP is little better.

      1. Glenn Vaughan
        November 7, 2024

        Quite right Donna and I add my congratulations also to President-elect Trump. A remarkable comeback considering that his dad wasn’t a toolmaker!

        1. Mickey Taking
          November 8, 2024

          I thought the dad owned it, not DID it!

      2. a-tracy
        November 7, 2024

        I like Rupert Lowe, he is a successful businessman and owns a farm and I enjoy listening to his words.

      3. Lynn Atkinson
        November 7, 2024

        Farage a businessman? When?

    3. Berkshire Alan
      November 7, 2024

      Indeed the American people looked at the much bigger picture, they voted for a LEADER who they thought would make their life better, who puts their own Country first, and who had a sensible plan to do so.
      Yes he perhaps has a flawed Character, but they believed in his policies,
      Meanwhile back in the UK we stacked our leader for a reported Party !

      1. Mickey Taking
        November 7, 2024

        a little more to it than a party.?

      2. a-tracy
        November 7, 2024

        He’s a strange one, Trump. Many people liked him and enjoyed his show, but then he ran for President, and the accusations from decades before started. They loved him on The View, the American TV show, and now they hate him. He was a Democratic donor; he and his children ran fundraisers for Democrats and supporters. They loved him then; even Harris took money from him. It was understandable when his business was in NY, and they were the party in charge there; it seemed that money talks. These Dems took his money and then took him to court. It’s odd.

        When people perceive that the people ruling over them are weak and don’t work in their interests, they look for a strong leader. Trump has surrounded himself with ex-Democrats in Musk, RFKJnr, Gabbard so its going to be interesting to see his early priorities.

    4. graham1946
      November 7, 2024

      The funniest thing I saw on tv was Patrick Christys drinking a pint of water and declaring that it was James O’Briens tears.

  3. Ian Wraggg
    November 7, 2024

    Net Zero has become a religion and in the UK with the idiot Milibrain incharge nothing will change. Deindustrialising the country is seen a positive by this government as it takes us back to the cold dark days pre the industrial revolution.
    Importing vast amounts of energy at spot prices would in any sane world get you sectioned when you have abundant resources of your own. This is the Kafaesque world we must look forward too.
    Badenoch made no reference to net zero in her speech because as with mass immigration she believes in it.
    Farage is our only salvation.

    1. Lifelogic
      November 7, 2024

      Does Kemi believe? I am not sure perhaps she just knows most of her deluded MPs do and circa 90%+ of MPs do? Excellent performance by Kemi at PM questions yesterday, well worth listening to. Starmer was pathetic as one would expect.

      Reply Kemi has appointed Claire Couthino to the Shadow energy brief. She supports the U.K. supplying more of our own oil and gas.

      1. Lifelogic
        November 7, 2024

        But Claire (who has a half maths degree from Oxford – no physics alas) must surely know or be able to work out the whole agenda is a total scam? Yet she was pushing the net zero lunacy for the deluded Sunak. The war on CO2 is hugely damaging and totally insane. The ways to reduce CO2 do not even do that in the main. EV cars increase it the other policies just export it. And a bit more CO2 is a net good anyway.

      2. agricola
        November 7, 2024

        R to R

        Very pleased to hear it. I hope she systematically shreds the heretical religion of Nett Zero. To make sense to the man on the 39 bus it is essential she spells it out in term of LSD, stripped of all its taxes and subsidies. At three times the price of energy in the USA there is no lack of meat on the bone.

      3. Lifelogic
        November 7, 2024

        Perhaps Claire Couthino will be emboldened by having a climate realist in the White House – though he still has to survive for two more months to get there.

      4. MBJ
        November 7, 2024

        What do you think of Prof Cox’s views

        1. Lifelogic
          November 7, 2024

          Not much, he is a BBC think Prof. to me anyone who falls for the CO2 devil gas religion is rather deluded. But then if you want a job at the BBC you have to be a bit of a David Attenborough type. From 1979 to 1986, he studied at the excellent independent Hulme Grammar School but he performed very poorly in his A-level in Mathematics (not even further maths) and received a grade of D. Amazing he even got in for Physics (even to Manchester). But he did get a first it seems. A Prof. I knew who was at Manchester (now deceased) thought he was generally regarded as a bit of a joke.

  4. Lifelogic
    November 7, 2024

    Farming too requires loads of fossil fuel energy to farm, grow, process, freeze and store human food. Cheap reliable on demand energy is vital to compete. The war on CO2 plant, tree and crop food – the gas of life is am insane religion. The idea that the way to stop flooding, forest fires, huricanes and the likes is mad. The idea that CO2 is a world thermostat is for the birds. World cooperation over CO2 reduction is for the birds too. The world had ice ages with far higher levels of CO2. CO2 is one of very many factor that affect temperature we live in a relative dearth of CO2 in historical terms.

    Thank goodness we will have a climate realist in the white house. Perhaps some of the more sensible unions can force Starmer to fire Lammy and the deluded Zealot Miliband and start drilling, fracking, mining and go for cheap, reliable on demand energy. Carbon capture is bonkers a waste of money and energy, burning imported wood (young coal) at Drax is expensive and also absurd.

    Prof. William Happer explains this very well indeed in his many sensible videos.

    1. Original Richard
      November 7, 2024

      LL :

      Professors Happer & Wingaarden used the UN IPCCā€™s radiative model to show that doubling CO2 produces a mere 0.7 degrees C of warming. Shula & Ott have demonstrated that this radiative model, based upon greenhouse gas molecules absorbing and immediately re-emitting IR photons, is invalid because at the Earthā€™s surface they are 50,000 times more likely to lose their absorbed energy through collisions with the non-greenhouse gases nitrogen and oxygen causing an increase in sensible heat through increased kinetic energy, a process known as thermalisation. So convection, not radiation, transports the Earthā€™s surface heat into the very upper atmosphere where radiation to space finally occurs through reverse thermalisation. Since CO2 is a trace gas it has almost zero warming or cooling effect. This is all done by water vapour. Type ā€œTom Nelson Shula Missing Linkā€ into YouTube.

      1. Mark
        November 7, 2024

        The Wijngaarden and Happer model takes full account of all the absorption and thermalisation in the lower part of the atmosphere, which it divides into 501 layers for analysis. It takes as input the measured typical temperatures, pressures and molecular composition of each layer, which effectively includes the effects of convection currents on the atmosphere’s heat distribution. The validity remains because radiation and thermalisation are proceses that occur on the sub micro- and nano- second level, whereas convection is a slow process taking millions and billions times longer. Shula and Ott are correct that convection is an important heat transfer mechanism, but that is already covered by the atmospheric temperature profile, where the temperature gradients are far bigger than any marginal change coming from changes in radiative effects. Wijngaarden and Happer do have a section in their main paper that discusses convection.

        1. Original Richard
          November 7, 2024

          Mark :

          Shula & Ott are asserting that the thermalisation of the IR excited GHG molecules in the lower atmosphere completely decouples the IR radiation emitted from the planet’s surface from the OLR radiation emitted to space cooling the planet. This is demonstrated by measurements made by Koll & Cronin which found that the OLR flux to space was a linear function of near surface temperature and not T to the power 4 as expected by the Stefan-Boltzmann equation. So they say there is no radiative transfer through the lower and middle layers of the atmosphere and heat loss from the surface is through convection and latent heat. The greenhouse heating effect comes from the increased residency time of heat in the atmosphere since convection is clearly a much slower process for removing surface heat than the heat from the incoming sunā€™s radiation. Since the main method of surface cooling becomes convection using the main gases N2 and O2 and evaporation it is clear that a minor trace gas such as CO2 has no effect on warming the planet. Reverse thermalisation, mainly from water vapour, sending radiation to space to cool the planet, occurs at the TOA where the air density and hence molecular collisions is sufficiently low for photons to be emitted and escape to space

          1. Mark
            November 8, 2024

            Wijngaarden and Happer also find that almost all radiation in the bottom layers of the atmosphere is thermalised, with some being re-emitted where GHGs (primarily water vapour) are the thermalised molecules. They have charts showing how this varies with altitude. Here’s their discussion from their Methane and Climate paper:

            At current greenhouse gas concentrations the surface flux, 142 W māˆ’2, is less than half the surface flux of 394 W māˆ’2 for a transparent atmosphere because of downwelling radiation from greenhouse gases above. The surface flux has nearly doubled to 257 W māˆ’2 at the tropopause altitude, 11 km in this example. The 115 W māˆ’2 increase in flux from the surface to the tropopause has been radiated by greenhouse gases in the troposphere. Most of the energy needed to replace the radiated power comes from convection of moist air. Direct absorption of sunlight in the troposphere makes a much smaller contribution.
            From Fig. 3 we see that the flux Z increases by another 20 W māˆ’2, from 257 W māˆ’2 to 277 W māˆ’2 between the tropopause and the top of the tmosphere. The energy needed to replace the 20 W māˆ’2 increase in flux comes from the absorption of solar ultraviolet light by ozone, O3 in the stratosphere and mesosphere. Convective heat transport above the tropopause is small enough to be neglected.

            Note the references to convection and implicit discussion of sources of conservation of energy to maintain the temperature profile.

          2. Mickey Taking
            November 8, 2024

            All this discussion seems to be a load of hot air!

      2. Lifelogic
        November 7, 2024

        +1

    2. glen cullen
      November 7, 2024

      Out of the 300 odd temp reading stations that the Met Office uses, its been found out that 100 don’t exist ?
      https://notalotofpeopleknowthat.wordpress.com/2024/11/06/met-office-is-inventing-temperature-data-from-100-non-existent-stations/

      1. Lynn Atkinson
        November 7, 2024

        Yes, they make up the figures. Itā€™s always easiest to fabricate the data to support your theory than derive a theory from data.
        I know people who have been awarded Doctorates using that method.

  5. Lifelogic
    November 7, 2024

    People, especially older people, also need affordable energy to comfortable survive UK winters. Far more deaths are caused by the cold than by excess heat – even in hotter countries than the UK.

  6. Annie
    November 7, 2024

    Starmer and Lammy have been so rude about Trump that I doubt if they will see anything good in any of his policies.

    1. William1st
      November 7, 2024

      They have both been very foolish. Lammy needs to go in the national interest. The Conservatives should press this point.

      1. Roy Grainger
        November 7, 2024

        The Conservatives ? At least half of their MPs AGREE with Lammy !

      2. Mark B
        November 7, 2024

        I agree.

    2. a-tracy
      November 7, 2024

      Starmer said in a tweet that “an endorsement from Donald Trump tells you everything you need to know about what is wrong with Boris Johnson’s politics and why he isn’t fit to be Prime Minister” in June 2019 reported by Sky.com the same month he railed “Humanity and dignity. Two words not understood by President Trump.” although Corbyn was leading Labour then.

      It is so silly of these Labour politicians they are always shooting their mouths off with these attacks to in sky words “boost his appeal to Labour supporters who could unite around a common political foe”.

  7. DOM
    November 7, 2024

    Trump’s job is simple, destroy woke Marxism before it destroys the west. All else is subsidiary.

    1. Michelle
      November 7, 2024

      ++ Amen to that

    2. Lifelogic
      November 7, 2024

      Alas not all that simple!

  8. David Peddy
    November 7, 2024

    Senseless

  9. Mike Wilson
    November 7, 2024

    The wholesale price of electricity is currently about 7 pence per kWh. I pay 24 pence per kWh. Seems like a huge markup.

    1. Mark B
      November 7, 2024

      Mike

      Well those foreign owned companies, some owned by national governments, have git to find a way to subsidies their own domestic consumers.

      1. a-tracy
        November 7, 2024

        The UK should never have released the majority of essential service shares to other nations.

        1. Mark
          November 7, 2024

          The biggest vulnerability comes from interconnectors. Already EU countries are threatening to curb supply as a bargaining tool over other matters such as fishing rights. When they get short of supply themselves we will find that there is no price at which we can persuade them to endure shortages and blackouts rather than us.

          At least for gas supply there are increasingly diverse potential sources of LNG, even if we deny ourselves the security of domestic supply.

        2. Lynn Atkinson
          November 7, 2024

          We had to, we give away billions every year and they have to be paid for somehow.

      2. Mike Wilson
        November 7, 2024

        Indeed. Hadnā€™t thought of that.

    2. Ian wragg
      November 7, 2024

      Today we’re not importing net any electricity from Europe because there’s no excess. Gas and nuclear are providing 68% of demand as I type and this will probably increase as the day goes on. It’s very mild today so we can look forward to rationing this winter as our 40gw of renewables will be museum pieces.

      1. miami.mode
        November 7, 2024

        Interesting point, Ian, as it seems to be government policy that we can easily import any amount of electricity that is needed.

        1. Mickey Taking
          November 8, 2024

          easy to import (until cables get cut), harder to pay for!

    3. Mark
      November 8, 2024

      You are paying for green subsidies and all the extra infrastructure required for renewables – pylons, interconnectors, extra substations, grid batteries, synchronous condensers (e.g. a new one is being commissioned at Sellindge where the IFA1 and Eleclink iinterconnectors link in), STATCOMs etc., and also for backup services via balancing market and the capacity market.

      Businesses pay even more than you do, especially smaller ones.

  10. Ian wragg
    November 7, 2024

    Mike if we used our own resources it would be about 3p per kwh. If you’re only paying 24p you’re lucky I’m paying 31p.
    The mark up is to finance the relentless March to net zero.

    1. Mike Wilson
      November 7, 2024

      Why are you paying so much? Iā€™m on So Flex tariff from So Energy. I could get it a bit cheaper if I fix.

    2. graham1946
      November 7, 2024

      I also pay 24p and 51p a day, fixed for a year, cheaper than the cap and I don’t pay by direct debit but on receipt of bills, though they would love to get control of my bank account for a paltry discount. 3 Years ago I paid 11p. It is a rip off at 24p. Find yourself a deal, it’s pretty easy.

      1. Mark
        November 7, 2024

        Small businesses are not protected by the OFGEM cap, so they find themselves paying much higher standing charges and per kWh rates. Their bills are double yours for a similar annual offtake.

        1. Berkshire Alan
          November 8, 2024

          Mark
          Agreed, even a micro business being run from home is not protected, and did not recieve any government support that domestic uses got either.
          The worst of Both Worlds !

  11. Dave Andrews
    November 7, 2024

    Cheaper energy would be nice, but in our company it’s dwarfed by the tax bill. We need cheaper government. Why is there an employer’s NI at all? Get rid of it. It’s bigger than the energy bill on its own.

    1. a-tracy
      November 7, 2024

      We compete with people who don’t engage employees; they use subcontractors. It’s going to be a tough few years. They won’t have the initial Ā£615 per worker extra tax in NI alone. If I have to cut staff, the government will lose even more tax. The joke is that government agencies choose suppliers without employed staff, rewarding them with lower-cost contracts.

  12. Rod Evans
    November 7, 2024

    Sir John, when yu say ‘this government’ is determined to leave our own energy resources in the ground. Let us not forget who was in power for 14 years prior who also legislated to lea e our energy resources in the ground no fracking for gas, no coal mining, slow walking oil extraction in the North Sea etc.
    It was Theresa May, a Tory (sic) PM that put Net Zero on the statute book. It was Tory policy to import essential fossil fuels, which we have massive indigenous supplies of. Only Liz Truss in her brief period of tenure lifted the fracking ban and we all know what became of her.
    The tentacles of Climate Alarmism are long and all embracing in the Western World the socialists are the main drivers of the anti energy movement. The BBC the Guardian, keep up the denigrating rhetoric aided by sister organisations across the Western World ABC, NBC, CBC, Washington, Post NY Times. Those organisations have been part funded by anti fossil fuel vested interests. Mega wealth influencers,(etc Ed)
    Thank heaven the West will have a chance to roll back the madness of Net Zero over the coming years.
    As the electricity generating data has shown this past four days here in the UK has been windless with virtually zero power coming from our fleet of wind turbines now with a capacity over 30GW none of which was being generated.
    Ed Miliband want to treble that often idle intermittent fleet and increase solar arrays that produce zero on days like these, zero at night, and zero from November to March at latitude 52 deg. north.
    The madness has to stop.

    1. Ian B
      November 7, 2024

      @Rod Evans – Yup, May created the situation we find ourselves in, but has seen all her predecessors stick to this nutty situation when they all could have changed things. Out of the Worlds 197 Nations only 6 have taken to punishing its people first. The UK Governments thing Punishment before viable effective alternatives is the only way to deal with the People they serve. Although to keep reminding ourselves Starmer has said he would rather support the WEF before the UK Parliment

    2. RichardP
      November 7, 2024

      +1 Rod Evans
      Itā€™s no use trying to appease the climate fanatics by tiptoeing around the subject of carbon emissions, climate alarmism has to be confronted. Our climate constantly changes but itā€™s got nothing to do with carbon dioxide. Net zero will be a disaster for our country but world carbon emissions will continue to rise.

  13. Michael Staples
    November 7, 2024

    Our whole industrial history and material comfort is based on cheap energy. The current bunch of green MPs (of all parties with a few honourable exceptions) will learn the lesson the hard way but unfortunately take us all down with them.
    Kemi Badenoch has stated she is against Net Zero but says that she she believes in “Climate Change”. I too think climate change is real, and always has been, but think anthropogenic global warming is a globalist scam and that decarbonisation is pointless, expensive and dangerous (the latter because CO2 is the basis of all life on earth). I suspect that she, like many others, is afraid to challenge the groupthink that prevails.
    In the long term, fossil fuels will run out and the only serious way to provide energy is through nuclear. Both the last and the present government continue to drag their feet on the small nuclear reactors. Meanwhile we should be drilling for our own oil and gas, digging coal and stop worrying about carbon dioxide.

    1. Ian B
      November 7, 2024

      @Michael Staples – She might say she is against it but she along with others as part of their collective responsibility did the opposite, she supported the export of UK Jobs, she supported high tariffs etc on energy, she supported being held captive to the whims of foreign domains for our energy supplies. Not a good record in reality

    2. Atlas
      November 7, 2024

      +1

    3. Mitchel
      November 7, 2024

      The USA is fast depleting its reserves of oil.It is currently the world’s biggest producer but ranks only around tenth in terms of proven reserves ,with just a fraction of the reserves of Venezuela or Saudi Arabia.It accounted for 10.86% of total global reserves in 1960 but only 3.04% in 2023.Only Kuwait has seen a more precipitous depletion rate (from 22.32% to 6.47%)over the same period.No wonder the neo-cons keep trying to regime change Venezuela which now accounts for 19.31% of global reserves (vs just 6.35% in 1960).

      1. Mark
        November 7, 2024

        The standards for declaring proved reserves favour large reservoirs that are porously connected, typical of the fields in Saudi and Venezuela. Where shale is fracked (which increases rock porosity), proven reserves can only be added once the rock has been perforated and shown to produce under stock exchange rules. However, the geological extent of the shale is usually known to be far greater from seismic and drill cores. The result is that the official reserves are an underestimate.

    4. Mickey Taking
      November 8, 2024

      Your final para puts it all clearly.

  14. Narrow Shoulders
    November 7, 2024

    Importing unneeded gas and oil at great cost when we have our own resource.

    Importing unneeded cheap labour at great cost when we have our own resource.

    Government is good at making the tough decisions isn’t it?

    1. Ian B
      November 7, 2024

      @Narrow Shoulders – they(Governments) all see Tax as their own personal earnings, to distribute as they wish. They think the magic money tree, the Taxpayer, can always be milked for more. They don’t see that their cutting off and restricting the food(energy) that feeds that tree is anything to do with them. They don’t house keep they just spend and stay obedient to their WEF Socialist Masters, whose sponsors make millions by manipulating peoples lives seemingly for fun

    2. Mickey Taking
      November 7, 2024

      Trump famously said DRILL DRILL DRILL.
      Starmer is saying BILL BILL BILL.
      Reeves is saying TAX TAX TAX.

      1. glen cullen
        November 7, 2024

        Fantastic
        Miliband is saying WIND WIND WIND

        1. Mickey Taking
          November 8, 2024

          for the low paid it might be Shiver Shiver Shiver.

  15. David Andrews
    November 7, 2024

    The current Labour government and a majority of MPs are utterly clueless about the consequences of their net zero policies ( they will propel the country to third world status) or the significance of oil and gas not only as a source of low cost energy but also as a feedstock for the manufacture of numerous products. For any manufacturer who relies on low cost energy or oil and gas as a feedstock the message is loud and clear. Get out of the UK as fast as you can and relocate to the USA – such as the Permian basin area where you will be welcomed with open arms.

  16. MPC
    November 7, 2024

    I hope President Trump now strives to better articulate his objections to climate alarmism. Previously these seem to have been confined to describing it as all as ā€˜a hoaxā€™, which is superficial and plays into the hands of the alarmist commentators and their well heeled funders. There are plenty of informed scientists in the US whose healthy scepticism could now be highlighted for the benefit of all who live in the western world.

    1. IanT
      November 7, 2024

      I’m not exactly sure that President Trump is the person I’d choose to argue my case in court MPC but actions speak louder than words and the American economy has grown faster with cheaper energy.

      Here in UK, blind adherence to Net Zero policies is busy clobbering our chances of growth. Clearly we need alternatives to fossil fuels in the long term but that day is still some time away. This rush to “de-carbonise” is extremly damaging but I suspect voters will only really appreciate this when the lights start going out and everyone (not just poor pensioners) have to go to bed early just to stay warm in Winter. We may not have too long to wait for that to start happening either…

      1. Lynn Atkinson
        November 7, 2024

        Should the Global Warming scammers not have to prove their case in court rather than the reverse?

        1. Mickey Taking
          November 8, 2024

          Exactly – normally allegations need proving!

    2. Mike Wilson
      November 7, 2024

      I hope President Trump now strives to better articulate his objections to climate alarmism.

      Not a Trump fan but, on balance, Iā€™m sort of pleased he won. That said, if only he could ā€˜articulate his objections to climate alarmismā€™. As far as articulation goes, you must admit he is inarticulate.

      1. Mickey Taking
        November 8, 2024

        Bear in mind who he is talking to! Keep it simple.

  17. David Cooper
    November 7, 2024

    We can all remember Ronald Reagan reaching out to Mikhail Gorbachev of the Soviet Communist Party with “Mr President, tear down that wall”. It’s modern day equivalent would be Donald Trump reaching out to Keir Starmer of the British Communist-in-all-but-name Party with “Prime Minister, tear down that green lunacy”. The common mischief was and is, of course, a system that was designed to oppress and impoverish ordinary citizens while an elite continued to enjoy the high life.

    1. Mickey Taking
      November 8, 2024

      Who will tell Trump ‘tear down that wall’?.
      We have a Channel, fat lot of good that does us!

  18. Bryan Harris
    November 7, 2024

    The inane mantra we hear so often about keeping it in the ground only applies to energy it seems. It doesn’t apply to root vegetable or the precious metals required to power smart phones or EVs.

    If the looney left is so concerned about disturbing the ground to extract resources why doesn’t it apply to everything?Their logic is full of contradictions.

    They tell us it is OK that those of us who can’t afford the ever increasing energy bills to suffer with the cold, but they must have the materials and means to drive around in their EV SUVs to spread the word.

    The left are not only wrong with their false netzero religion, they are selfish and will be guilty of mass murder, and worse, when the severe cold does strike.
    The more of us that shuffle off the mortal coil the more resources will be available to them.

    1. Mickey Taking
      November 7, 2024

      But what about the energy used to dispose of you in the Crematorium?

  19. Donna
    November 7, 2024

    Well done to the American people. I so enjoyed watching the lefty “liberal” Establishment (here and in America) throwing the mother of all temper tantrums yesterday.

    Will the British Establishment back down on their Net Zero obsession? No. They are incapable of admitting they are wrong about anything and, anyway, Johnson/Sunak’s Brino/Windsor Treachery require us to conform to the EU’s Environmental Policies so unless they’re prepared to rip them up it won’t happen. That’s why Badenoch talks about trying to achieve Net Zero more sensibly; she can’t abandon it because the NaCP won’t LEAVE the EU.

    I do hope President Trump explains to Keir-Ching! that handing over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius/China would be very unwise and would seriously pizz him off. And he wouldn’t want to pizz off the President he has just claimed to stand shoulder to shoulder with šŸ™‚

    1. Bryan Harris
      November 7, 2024

      The American deep state didn’t quite have the complete control that the UK deep state has. Trump has brought a little light to the USA and the world.

      Where is our Trump figure that we so badly need?

      1. Lynn Atkinson
        November 7, 2024

        +1
        The American deep state was well entrenched. Did you see the Obamas, the Clintons, Gates
        So much fun to look forward to.

      2. Donna
        November 7, 2024

        On a flight back from America I expect.

  20. William Long
    November 7, 2024

    The only positive thing you can say about the Government’s energy policy, is that it will be one of the things that sinks them, but whether the Conservatives or Reform are seen as the better option to put things right is a very open question.

  21. Ian B
    November 7, 2024

    “cheaper energy available in plentiful supply is crucial to any industrial strategy.” So true for any Country to respond to what the World throws at it they must be able to generate wealth, have money in the bank to respond.

    Just as with the average UK Householder and Individual you create alternatives, but that takes money.

    May, Johnson, Sunack and now Starmer have all had a policy of sending the UK’s money and wealth abroad to prop up foreign regimes before even thinking of the UK. They have all considered Governments had money to throw away, they all see Tax as sort of State earned Income.

    Governments can not create wealth they can just steal it. So handicapping a whole Country and its People with their deliberate malicious over-pricing of energy, is May, Johnson, Sunak & Starmer saying we hate the UK we don’t want the UK to compete in the World, be on the same footing as other Countries and find away forward – we have fostered decline by malicious destruction.

  22. Roy Grainger
    November 7, 2024

    Trump won’t “persuade” the UK to exploit our own oil and gas but he might force us to by redirecting US exports to the US market as part of his protectionist stance.

    OT but I read an interesting piece about the floods in Spain. It seems over the past few years they have been busily removing dams from their rivers (over 100 removed so far) to “allow rivers to follow their natural course” in furtherance of some sort of EU environmental directive. But of course the flooding is now being blamed entirely on climate change. A bit like the brush fires in California which were actually caused by environmentalists preventing brush and forest management and clearance.

  23. Original Richard
    November 7, 2024

    ā€œWill President Trump persuade the U.K. government to copy his America First example?ā€

    No.

    Whilst NESOā€™s ā€œClean Power 2030ā€ report for the government claims that this is achievable a reading of the report shows that it will require, amongst other measures, rolling blackouts, a huge increase in expense for renewable and grid infrastructure, continuing with a parallel generation system using unabated gas and the development of as yet unproven technologies. All within the next 5 years.

    But this will not stop our Secretary of State for Energy Security & Net Zero from implementing his plan to decarbonise our electricity by 2030. He could do this anytime he wants by simply turning off our gas generated electricity.

    Everyone should remember the history of last century and the 100 million deaths from Communist ideology.

  24. Margaret Brandreth-
    November 7, 2024

    I wish our country and particularly my profession wasn’t so ageist . Talk about fake management .

  25. Mickey Taking
    November 7, 2024

    A refreshing Off Topic?
    Australia’s government says it will introduce “world-leading” legislation to ban children under 16 from social media. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the proposed laws, to be tabled in parliament next week, were aimed at mitigating the “harm” social media was inflicting on Australian children.
    “This one is for the mums and dads… They, like me, are worried sick about the safety of our kids online. I want Australian families to know that the government has your back,” he said.
    While many of the details are yet to be debated, the government said the ban will not apply to young people already on social media.
    (the last point being a stumbling block !).

    1. glen cullen
      November 7, 2024

      I’m concerned about any restriction on reading freedom imposed by governments, its akin to burning books …agree with you MT, let the parents decide

      1. Mickey Taking
        November 8, 2024

        but what a horror of a world should children only learn from social media!

  26. a-tracy
    November 7, 2024

    I don’t think the Tories offer anything different than labour regarding energy, do they?

    1. glen cullen
      November 7, 2024

      same old same old

  27. Michael Saxton
    November 7, 2024

    I think this unlikely Sir John; Labourā€™s net zero ideologies are firmly wedded to wind and solar backed by damaging CCA legislation and pushed by the biased CCC. Furthermore, their EU chums in Brussels are determined to follow the same nonsensical ideology. These people do not understand, or want to understand, that wind and solar are intermittent technologies and inefficient even when they do work. They need back up. Just look at UK Grid supply these past ten days! Wind and solar hardly contributing to our energy mix! Much of the responsibility for this policy rests with successive conservative administrations because they tamely followed Labourā€™s energy policy set by Blair/Brown and Miliband. Indeed ā€˜groupthinkā€™ dominates all administrations since 2008. We are in a mess of our own making and until and unless blackouts take place our hapless politician’s will blunder on regardless.

  28. Thomas
    November 7, 2024

    Unfortunately there is still huge discrimination in the world practised against people of colour
    and unfortunately for UK we continue putting forward people of colour into key political positions where they stand exposed to this abomination. Here we are talking about government ministers who stand to be snubbed and made wait outside the door when they go abroad to visit foreign political leaders (example: recently when Lammy went to visit Netanyahu) – unfortunately it’s the way of the world but it’s not working for the UK either.

    Countries that practise this type of discrimination include:
    China, Russia, India, Ukraine, Hungary, Poland, Italy, Israel, Serbia and the other Balkans, Saudi Arabia, most South American Countries and most SE Asian ones including Singapore.
    I doubt very much if you print this – but there you have it from someone who has travelled.

  29. Kenneth
    November 7, 2024

    The current government = rather like the previous government – is full of weirdos who will not listen to reason. They are helped – and often lead by – a civil service with more weirdos in senior positions.

  30. rose
    November 7, 2024

    Have you noticed what a fuss the Information Industrial Complex is kicking up about Trump’s theoretical tariffs? Yet paying four times as much as we should for insecure supplies of energy is not a problem. Nor is all the extra tax the country now has to pay.

    1. Diane
      November 7, 2024

      rose: With those theoretical tariffs in mind, another opportunity for pro EU campaigners & others to continue their desire to push for a Brexit reversal ( Independent 6/11: ‘UK must reverse Brexit if Donald Trump wins election, Keir Starmer told’ ” With the prospect of a brutal global trade war looming, critics of the UK’s current Brexit deal have said the country needs to rejoin the customs union, single market or the bloc itself to shield itself from the devastating fallout ” ……

      1. Mickey Taking
        November 8, 2024

        what else would you expect the critics to say? doh…

    2. Mike Wilson
      November 7, 2024

      The latest round of CFDs for renewable power resulted in a strike price of Ā£54.23 per mWh – or 5.4 pence per kWh. This seems pretty cheap to me.

  31. Iago
    November 7, 2024

    So, what do we do? Wait four and a half years, while the nation is wrecked comprehensively by this communist government? During that time they will continue to change the voting population by immigration, adding to the effect of natural increase, and the policy of the previous Conservative government you suppported.

  32. Blazes
    November 7, 2024

    Am amazed at the amount of world leaders who say they are looking forward to working with Trump – Liars all

    1. Mickey Taking
      November 8, 2024

      How much would change if they didn’t rely on the US President for economy and defence?

  33. Original Richard
    November 7, 2024

    “Will President Trump persuade the U.K. government to copy his America First example?”

    No.

    ā€œIt’s easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled.ā€
    ā€• Mark Twain

    1. Lynn Atkinson
      November 7, 2024

      The UK Government are the Foolers.

    2. Mickey Taking
      November 8, 2024

      Richard, too often the UK puts ‘America First’.

  34. Donna
    November 7, 2024

    No energy, courtesy of Red Ed ….. and quite possibly food shortages courtesy of this idiotic Labour Government. Apparently farmers are considering a temporary halt on food deliveries to British supermarkets to demonstrate to Keir-Ching! and “the first woman Chancellor” just how quickly they need to reverse the Farmers IHT policy. Those “just in time” deliveries may not be made just in time to keep the shelves stocked.

  35. glen cullen
    November 7, 2024

    307 criminals arrived in the UK yesterday from the safe country of France

  36. Ian B
    November 7, 2024

    ‘Itā€™s the economy, stupid ā€“ of course the Democrats lost’ This is a headline in today’s Telegraph, the same quote applies to why the Conservatives lost and on present form why labour will also lose – our Political class is so wound up with persona self-esteem the have lost the plot the economy is expenditure and how it is controlled and what it achieves.

    Reply That was my tweet about the event

    1. Ian B
      November 8, 2024

      @Reply – I was reminded of the this common sense often quoted phrase by this item, https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2024/11/06/democrats-trashed-the-economy-of-course-they-lost/
      I was also aware you often relate to similar

  37. Lynn Atkinson
    November 7, 2024

    ” The European Union is forced to buy Russian oil in order to prevent Putin from earning more elsewhere,” said the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.

    1. Mickey Taking
      November 8, 2024

      unbelievably stupid, but then …

    2. Berkshire Alan
      November 8, 2024

      Yes, do as I say, not as I do
      Typical EU policy.
      Just like many of the regulations the UK used to follow (and still do) whilst those in the EU turn a blind eye if it suits them.

  38. Lynn Atkinson
    November 7, 2024

    Incidentally, Harris only won in states where no photo ID or no ID was required.

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