Fast Track For More Energy

One of the big drivers of inflation is the cost of energy. We need a way of creating more and reducing costs. This is how:

Energy usage is high during the daytime and low at night.  A mechanism to level out this difference would lower the average cost of power and the more we can distance our energy usage from the international cost of energy, the better.

The answer is, of course, storing energy at its lowest price and releasing it at times of peak demand. 

Creating a distributed battery capability is a simple solution.

It does require fast-track government action.

The planning authorities should be mandated to create space for big (ISO container-sized) batteries at or near all electricity transformer sites across the country.

The energy companies will be told that they will avoid a windfall tax to the extent that they install the batteries. They will make a profit by buying electricity at night when it is cheap and will sell it during the day when it is expensive. Sourcing the batteries will have to be from manufacturers with the ability to manufacture in relatively sufficient volume to a standard acceptable to the energy companies.

This will be a five-year contract when they will receive a lump sum for the batteries from any sales they make, in effect a ‘battery investment bond’.

Mechanisms will include 

1. A National Grid scheme to register Big Battery manufacturers as capable to manufacture with TQM quality, and capacity to manufacture, install and make operational at the rate of several units per month.

2. The installations assurance will be by a visit from a qualified engineer paid for by the manufacturer and licenced by the National Grid at the rate £1000 per licence for each manufacturing factory. 

3. Licences will be completed within 20 days of application by the manufacturer and the Grid will face a financial penalty of £10,000 if it fails to comply.

4. This creates a tendency to favour UK manufacturers, create jobs and grow UK manufacturing and hurries up the role out of the scheme.

5. The energy companies subject to a potential windfall tax will manage and pay for the completed manufacture, installation and subsequent operation.

6. These companies will have the windfall tax reduced by a sum of money equivalent to 100% of the cost of battery manufacturing, installation and operational completion (with a Grid contract in place). 

7. Windfall tax reduction will come into effect 30 days after operational execution.