Meeting of the Parliament 11 November 2015
I might have time later to get on to the subject of diversity of energy sources, which is something that I believe in.
The other point that I wanted to make with regard to low-tech solutions is about compressed or liquefied air, which is also mentioned in the report that we are discussing. We can learn a great deal from work that is being done, particularly in India, on cars that are powered by liquid air. It is a wonderful way of storing energy; it is almost like a spring, and it can achieve great results.
In my last minute, I want to explain how our electricity system works. Our electricity is generated at 50 cycles per second, and we can test the load on the system at any moment from any socket in any wall simply by checking the rate at which the current is oscillating. If it deviates by more than a few fractions of 1 per cent above or below that 50 cycles per second figure, someone in a control room somewhere is panicking and trying either to produce extra capacity or to shut capacity down. It is vital that, as we move towards a more environmentally based system, we have the means to change that capacity. That is why we pay for generators, including wind turbines, to be switched off; their value is greater if they are held in reserve than if they are used simply to displace something else.
If we put all our eggs in one basket—in any one form of energy production—we will put continuity of supply at risk. That is why, as I said in response to the earlier intervention, I will always campaign for diversity in our energy sources. Only through diversity can we have the consistency required to ensure that when we flick a switch the power comes on.