Britain is facing the rising risk of an energy shortfall within 3 years, Ofgem has warned as electrical generation will plunge to 4% spare capacity from its present level of 14%. Some 12GW of coal fired plants; equivalent to a sixth of the total generation capacity can now only operate for a limited number of hours before they are closed in order to comply with the European Union air pollution regulations. Shortfalls could see the National Grid cutting energy to businesses by 2015, to “avoid families being left in the dark”. If no action is taken there is a 42% likelihood that consumers will be cut off at some point in 2015 / 16. This is grim news for even assuming that gas fired central fired plants and nuclear are ordered today it would take 5 years for the former to come on stream. The utilities are in no hurry to invest in new gas […]