GMB Magazine GMB24 Centre Point Spring 2016 | Page 18

IN GMB G Y Re people E N E th to r e Pow I F the lights go out – don’t blame us!” warned GMB members working in our energy industry. The last Yorkshire miners said the same thing after they worked the final shift at Kellingley, the nation’s last colliery. This slogan tells a bigger truth. Britain faces the risk of devastating power cuts because the government’s energy policy just isn’t fit for purpose. Since taking power, ministers have announced the closure of all coal-fired power stations, given massive hand-outs for heavily polluting oil generators, scrapped funding for carbon capture and storage, invited the Chinese to finance new nuclear power and ended subsidies for wind and solar. That’s just for starters. The Tories are making policy on the hoof, with potentially disastrous results. The margin of spare generating capacity available next winter has fallen to its lowest level since the industry Rex Features/EDF/iStock Daily Mirror columnist Paul Routledge reports on the Tories’ short-term energy policy… was privatised. Worryingly, power cuts just can’t be ruled out. GMB supports a balanced energy policy with a mix of power sources including nuclear, gas and renewables. We can’t rely on wind power to keep the lights on. For 12 days this winter, wind delivered 10 per cent or less of the installed wind electricity capacity. The National Grid had to invoke special measures to keep the lights on. Wind power can yield inadequate output up to 10 days every month. NUCLEAR NEEDED General Secretary Tim Roache s ZY 8