Tuesday 2 June 2015

Cost Benefit Analysis Obligations - Parts 1 to 5


Without reflection, we go blindly on our way, creating more unintended consequences, and failing to achieve anything useful - Margaret J. Wheatley (born 1941), American writer and management consultant

Pat Swords, an environmental and chemical engineer, has written an excellent series of articles on the cost benefit analysis that should have been, but wasn't, prepared for Ireland's Renewable Action Plan (NREAP) back in 2010. The full implications of the failure to comply with proper procedures is only beginning to come clear and will be with us for a long time. In the UK yesterday, there were warnings about legal action over wind subsidies as the new UK government attempt to introduce some long overdue free market policies into their energy policy.  Pat alludes to some other potential legal actions that are coming down the line in Part 5. In Ireland, it was reported this week that, despite having installed 2,200MW of fuel free wind (equal to about half of peak demand), we now have the third highest electricity prices in Europe with network costs (increasing to facilitate NREAP) now making up about 30% of people's bills.  


Parts 1 to 5 can be found below -



Part 1 - Obligation to complete a prior cost benefit analysis




Part 4 - Abuse of your right to a ‘highly competitive social market economy’

Part 5 - A mandatory programme and we will be fined – how accurate is this claim?

2 comments:

  1. A well-referenced sequence of papers that are essential reading for anybody who has an interest in how they are being ripped off.
    Our current set of public servants seem to be more focussed on their index-linked pensions that in attempting to follow in the footsteps of T. K. Whitaker.
    Ignore the message and take no action at your peril!

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  2. The theory that wind energy displaces some, (though very small amounts of electricity), is gradually being replaced by a theory that it displaces none. In countries where it is mature, we would expect to see evidence of that displacement. The opposite is the case, as this article from Germany proves. See also valmartinireland you tube video No 5. The promotion of wind energy is continuing not because of evidence of it working, but because of the inability of the majority of the population to comprehend the cost and hardship it is causing. It is a more important issue than welfare levels, and even health because if a patient is discharged into a cold home, they will suffer from hypothermia.

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