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EVERY kWh COUNTS

IGEM CEO Ollie Lancaster explores some of the options available and finding alternative supplies to
to the UK in the face of a challenging winter ahead for energy satisfy gas demand.

ELECTRICITY GENERATION
hen Elon Musk posts These extraordinary times are causing Reducing demand for gas in power
something on Twitter, a scramble across a wide range of generation can help preserve gas for other
the world pays attention. countries to attempt to shift supply over sectors, like home heating and industry,
He recently stated that to alternative options. while still performing its back-up role in a
W extraordinary times call There’s a balance to achieve to make happy marriage with wind power.
for extraordinary measures, and sure our demands for energy – when ‘Extraordinary measures’ means
that we need to increase oil and gas and where we want it – are met in a pushing back against the closure of
output immediately. This is because way that’s affordable and compliant nuclear and unwinding, where possible,
the world is fathoming all the ways with a trajectory to achieve net zero, nuclear power stations that are able to
possible to cope without supplies of while meeting carbon budgets all along reverse from a recently closed status.
coal, oil and gas from Russia, with the way to 2050. This balancing can The spotlight is firmly on Germany in
Europe particularly challenged by be met by reducing demand through doing this, and our own shores may
its reliance on imported gas, with improving the energy efficiency of need to investigate the same, as well as
Germany and Italy the most exposed. buildings and appliances, for example, France’s struggling, aging fleet.

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