DANCING IN THE DARK?

Yesterday the National Grid warned that its capacity to supply electricity this winter would be at a seven-year low due to generator closures and breakdowns. The National Grid revealed that spare electricity capacity, which ran at about 5% over the winter months last year, would be nearer 4% this year, three years ago the margin was 17%. The loss of generating capacity is a symptom of a bigger systematic sector wide problem as a result of the model for energy production, distribution and ownership being fundamentally flawed.

Our energy production and distribution model has been restructured to primarily benefit the big 6 energy cartel members, their interests and their (City) profits. From the perspective of energy consumers and smaller scale energy producers, or anyone who wants things to change the problem is that all the Westminster based political parties have quietly bought into this cartel dominated model of energy production and ownership (or perhaps were quietly bought).

The reality is that the UK’s cartel dominated model for energy production and distribution is not necessarily the norm everywhere in Europe or around the world. Alternatives exist and prosper, a particularly good example of a balanced and healthy energy mix can be found in Germany. Here small may very well be beautiful, even within a geographically sizeable state, particularly in relation to energy, back in 2012 some 22% of the countries energy came from small scale green entrepreneurs. 

In Germany community based co-operatives (both urban and rural), farmers and homeowners are part of the 1.3 million renewable energy producers and part of the energy mix. Incidentally in Germany, citizens’, cooperatives, and communities own more than half of German renewable capacity. Small-scale electricity generation is having a knock on effect encouraging change throughout the energy system.

In Berlin, a cooperative (Burger Energie Berlin – literally Berlin Citizens Energy) is campaigning to take control of the capital's electricity grid with some 35,000km of underground cables. The cooperative is a free, cross-party coalition of citizens who are committed to a sustainable, sustainable and democratic energy policy in Berlin. Members have one vote regardless of the amount their deposit and anyone who wants the power network to be in civil hand, is welcome.

Ordinary Berliners have invested their cash in the venture with the intention of producing a reliable 100 percent renewable energy supply. The aim is to promote the integration of renewable energy into the grid and to invest a portion of the profits from this directly into the transition to renewable energy. At present the Berlin electricity grid is run by Vattenfall (whose concession runs out this year) regularly generates millions in profits, members of the co-operative believe that the profits from the grid operation should flow to Berlin’s citizens.  

This is grass roots energy generation that has potentially the power to change the nature of the energy supply system (in Germany and elsewhere). They aim to build an energy grid that is better handle the rise of green power and allows local use of locally produced energy. This may well be a case of small being both beautiful and perhaps more disturbing from the perspective of Westminster being that it is both community beneficial and community owned.

In Germany, there is a deliberate promoted policy of energy transition (or ‘Energiewende’) – this is a very different approach to what is practised in these islands (at least south of the Scottish border). For a start the ‘Energiewende’ is driven by a desire to reduce and eliminate any dependency on nuclear energy. 

The introduction of the Feed-in-tariff (EEG) in 2008 was an important part of this process, along with (post Fukushima) the almost unanimous across the board political commitment to a wide range of targets (in 2011) which included a commitment to reduce energy demand (with a 50% reduction in primary energy use by 2050) and the achievement of an 80% renewable electricity share of total consumption (by 2050). This has resulted in a significant uptake of renewables in Germany.

It is worth noting that:

• In early 2012, around 25% of Germany’s power was generated from renewable sources;
• Costs for wind generated power have fallen by around 50% since 1990;
• Costs for solar systems has fallen by around 80-90% since 1990;
• In 2011, over 380,000 people were employed in the renewable energy sources industry
• Only 13% of Germany’s 60 GW of renewable energy is owned by utilities, with the rest being owned by households, communities, and farmers among others;
• In less than 7 years, an energy market with 4 main suppliers has turned into one with more than a million suppliers;
• Solar supply has already met peak lunchtime demand on several occasions.

Another of the benefits of the Energiewende is more local ownership of the means of energy production, more jobs, more security of supply and real meaningful action to tackle climate-changing emissions from energy.

The real striking difference is that the operation of the grid in Germany means that generated renewable electricity is used first and that distribution network operators (DNOs) are also seeking to reduce demand. This is so radically different from the way the energy is generated, distributed and used here in Wales.

Another significant difference, aside from the scale and pattern of investment (in Germany), is that small businesses, co-operatives, individual households and local authorities benefit from investment distributed by a network of local banks (something we pretty much entirely lack in Wales). The whole thing is supported by the KfW (state investment bank) to the tune of 23.3 billion euro in the area of environment and climate protection (2012 figures).

These developments are a million miles away from the so-called ‘Free market’ for energy that exists in the UK, which is pretty dominated by the ‘Big 6’ energy cartel members. The fact that some former politicians have found rewarding post political career employment within the energy sector may be co-incidental but suggests that there is little desire for improvement within Westminster.

The way the current set up works, it is difficult to imagine ‘Government’ at most levels (at least south of the Scottish border) in the UK grasping the concept, the practicalities and real possibilities of genuine community owned beneficial energy generation projects.

TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO…

Some 25 years ago last week back in October 1989, amidst growing frustrations with East German style communist rule a wave of mass protests swept East Germany. Barely fifty years after East Germany was created in the Soviet occupied eastern Germany following the Second World War, these demonstrations would ultimately led to the fall of the Berlin Wall and the subsequent transformation of Europe.

During the Cold War there were around some 5,000 successful escapes to West Berlin, and many failed escape attempts. There is an on-going argument about how many people died trying to escape to freedom - according to the Center for Contemporary Historical Research (ZZF) in Potsdam there were 136 confirmed deaths. Where once people risked everything to cross the old border now you stroll from one half of the city to the other with barely a thought about it.

I remember clearly recall watching the protests on TV and keeping my fingers crossed and hoping that the tyranny would fall. Almost miraculously it did and from that moment onwards all things literally became possible, it is easy to forget that we live in a post cold war Europe were it is quite possible and entirely normal for the peoples like the Scots, the Catalans and others to seek self-determination

POWER FROM THE PEOPLE

There are times when Westminster, the Euro sceptics and perhaps the City are happy for the 22 miles of water separating the British Isles from the European mainland to seem psychologically much wider than they are geographically. Economically at times, particularly when it comes to the model for energy production, distribution and ownership those few miles of water at times might as well be a thousand miles wide. 

I mention this because last week Ofgen referred the energy market (this is Ofgen speak for the big 6 energy cartel members) to the Competition and Markets Authority for a full investigation. Ofgem says that the investigation should ensure, once and for all, that competition works effectively for consumers, by bearing down on prices while driving improvements in customer service and innovation.

Let’s just say that I for one won’t be holding my breath... as our energy production and distribution model has been restructured (over the years) to primarily benefit the big 6 energy cartel members, their interests and their (City) profits. From the perspective of energy consumers and smaller scale energy producers, the problem is that all the Westminster based political parties had quietly bought into this cartel dominated model of energy production and ownership.

The reality is that the UK’s cartel dominated model for energy production and distribution is not necessarily the norm everywhere in Europe. Alternatives exist and prosper, a particularly good example of a balanced and healthy energy mix can be found in Germany. Here small may very well be beautiful, particularly in relation to energy, back in 2012 some 22% of the countries energy came from small scale green entrepreneurs. 

Community co-operatives (both urban and rural), farmers and homeowners are part of the 1.3 million renewable energy producers and part of the energy mix. Incidentally in Germany, citizens’, cooperatives, and communities own more than half of German renewable capacity. Small scale electricity generation is having a knock on effect encouraging change throughout the energy system.

In Berlin, a cooperative (Burger Energie Berlin – literally Berlin Citizens Energy) is campaigning to take control of the capital's electricity grid with some 35,000 km of underground cables. The cooperative is a free, cross-party coalition of citizens who are committed to a sustainable, sustainable and democratic energy policy in Berlin. Members have one vote regardless of the amount their deposit and anyone who wants the power network to be in civil hand, is welcome.

Ordinary Berliners have invested their cash in the venture with the intention of producing a reliable 100 percent renewable energy supply. The aim is to promote the integration of renewable energy into the grid and to invest a portion of the profits from this directly into the transition to renewable energy. At present the Berlin electricity grid is run by Vattenfall (whose concession runs out this year) regularly generates millions in profits, members of the co-operative believe that the profits from the grid operation should flow to Berlin’s citizens.  

This is grass roots energy generation that has potentially the power to change the nature of the energy supply system (in Germany and elsewhere). They aim to build an energy grid that is better handle the rise of green power and allows local use of locally produced energy. This may well be a case of small being both beautiful and perhaps more disturbing from the perspective of Westminster being both community beneficial and community owned. 

These developments are a million miles away from the alleged ‘Free market’ for energy that exists in the UK, which is dominated by the ‘Big 6’ energy cartel members. The way the current set up works, it is difficult to imagine ‘Government’ at most levels in the UK grasping  the concept, let alone the practicalities and possibilities of genuine community owned and community beneficial energy generation projects even crossing the collective mind of Westminster and some of the devolved institutions. 

SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL

Small may very well be beautiful in relation to energy in Germany (2012), 22% of the countries energy came from small scale green entrepreneurs.  Community co-operatives (both urban and rural), farmers and homeowners are part of the 1.3 million renewable energy producers. Small scale electricity generation is having a knock on effect; the energiewende is encouraging change throughout the energy system. In Berlin a community cooperative Is aiming to take control of the capital's electricity grid with some 35,000 km of underground cables. Co-operative members have taken on the established energy companies and are attempting to fight off the Chinese state grid which is trying to get a foothold in the German energy market. Around 1,300 Berliners have invested their cash in the venture. This is grass roots energy generation that has potentially the power (no pun intended) to change the nature of the energy supply system (in Germany and elsewhere). They aim to build an energy grid that is better handle the rise of green power and allows local use of locally produced energy. This development is a million kilometres away from the so called ‘Free market’ for energy that exists in the UK, which is pretty much dominated by the ‘Big 6’ energy cartel members. With the way the current monopoly is set up, it is difficult to imagine ‘Government’ at any level in the UK buying into the concept, let alone the practicalities and possibilities of genuine community owned and community beneficial energy generation projects even crossing the collective mind of Westminster and Whitehall. 

ANNIVERSARIES

With the twentieth anniversary (9^th November 1989) of the fall of the Wall rapidly approaching it is worth remembering a few things about the then East Germany and the East German Government. The nominally Communist (but fully Totalitarian) Government maintained its hold on power by subjecting its own citizens to the full weight of fear and intimidation via its own secret police.

Ordinary people were turned into informers or collaborators to remain “safe” from the attentions of the Stasi: estimates as to the numbers who turned informer vary between one for every 50 people to one in seven (in Ceausescu’s Romania it may have been one in three). The secret police happily ruined the lives of anyone it decided to: men, women, teenagers and children. During the really dark days this meant the murder, or “liquidation”, of their opponents.

As East Germany mellowed in the 1970s and 1980s the regime opted to destroy its opponents psychologically — spreading rumours, ruining careers, destroying marriages, taking peoples children away, wrecking peoples chances of higher education, or exiling them. The East Germany State (and the Stasi) was effectively at war with its own people, if you kept your head down, did not rock the boat, towed the party line, and parroted that the current line in ideological claptrap; then you might get by. The Stasi (at the behest of the East German State) demonstrated a degree of viciousness and utterly disregarded basic human rights and cast aside any trace of human dignity.

As had been well documented elsewhere the Stasi broke into people’s flats and bugged them; they actually irradiated objects and people (with some pretty lethal consequences) so they could track “suspects” with Geiger counters; and also used drugs to wreck people’s lives, literally drugging the East German States opponents whilst detaining them under house arrest. The East German State waged a brutal and vicious war upon its own people, who could with a literal stroke of a pen became “traitors”, “asocials” or “negative-enemy elements”.

As has been well documented elsewhere, there is a trend in totalitarian states towards excessive bureaucracy and record keeping; East Germany was pretty typical in that respect to other equally unpleasant totalitarian repressive regimes. Since the fall of the wall historians and archivists have revealed that between 1949 and 1989 the East German party Bureaucrats managed to accumulate more paperwork (mostly relating to their own people) than the whole of Germany throughout the Middle Ages.

Ironically some twenty years after the fall of the wall, a heated debate is taking place in Germany as to how East Germany should be remembered! Some of the former Communists (many of whom shrugged of their inconvenient outdated and irrelevant ideology) would no doubt like East Germany to be remembered as some sort of idealistic, left wing utopian well intentioned but failed socialist experiment – within which they had hoped to look after the people from literal cradle to grave - the non rose tinted reality was sadly very different.

Many former human rights activists, political prisoners and most historians would have East Germany remembered exactly the way it was. It is worth remembering that few people defected to East Germany (save for at least one former NUM deputy leader and he rapidly changed his mind and quietly came back to the West) to embrace its nominally Communist values.

Nostalgia can be a powerful thing, but, it won’t bring back those people who were murdered by the East German state and it won’t heal the damage done to people’s lives. It is also worth remembering that many thousands of ordinary East German’s risked life and limb to escape to the West over the years and that some paid the ultimate price in the attempt. As we remember the events of twenty years ago (in the winter of 1989) we should also remember that thousands of East Germans rose in courageous and peaceful revolt to topple the tyrannical East Germany Government and cast their rulers deservedly into the dustbin of history.

Berlin

It has been said that travel broadens the mind, there may be some truth in that. You get to see new places, even if only for a few days and get to make comparisons with how things are done or function in your home country. I had a few days in Berlin (the other weekend), having caught up on sleep, have noted the following:

· The public transport system S and U Bann networks were impressive, as was the co-ordination with the cities buses – the trains and trams were very clean and provided an exceptionally efficient way of getting around, as well as running late into the Friday and Saturday evenings.

· Picked up a 3-day travel pass for Berlin, which also gave you discounted access to various museums, etc – now that is a good idea.

· Berlin – a large spread out city was seriously clean by way of comparison with South Wales, very little litter and no gum on the pavement.

· Went to see Hertha Berlin v Borussa Dortmund (at the Olympic Stadium) - 74, 422 – no segregation (and at least 10,000+ Dortmund supporters, + lots of beer, pretzels, wurst, etc – no trouble and a relatively minimal Police presence.

· The various fans were in good spirits in the spring sunshine, lots of banter and beer drinking – on the train to the ground, I was people watching – and noticed a large Herta fan (in a small shirt) and his mates who were knocking beer back (like it was going to be made illegal at midnight) and talking to Dortmund fans, cadging lights for cigarettes, etc.

· We waited a few minutes at one S-Bann station – the large fan, checked the indicator boards for the departure time, picked up all the empties (in a plastic) bag, stepped off the train, deposited the empties in a bin and stepped back on board to start a fresh beer…(10 out of 10).

· Now I for one and sadly many others cannot imagine Cardiff City v Swansea with no segregation, beer, and a minimal Police presence…

· It is also worth noting that with the match tickets (bought on-line) you also got free travel within Berlin for an hour before the game and for 3 hours afterwards (that’s also a good idea).

· Now Hertha Berlin were well and truly horsed (losing three goals to one) by Dortmund – yet there was no trouble at all.

· The biggest cheer of the afternoon was confirmation that Bayern Munich went down by five goals to one.

· You really notice the differences when you come back home, arrived at Cardiff Wales Airport, missed the once an hour connection to the railway station, killed some time in a cafe (at the airport) before going to catch the bus. It was very expensive and dirty – a definite case of could do better!

Overall think that the Germans have a much more civic minded and more functioning society and perhaps more of a sense of ownership (hence the lack of litter) – one can but ask where did we go wrong? Moreover, how can we fix it?

There were a number of small almost discreet memorials scattered about the City (along the line of the former Wall) to those who died trying to escape communist East Germany - which makes you think about how much we take for granted - especially when you remember that the last person killed trying to escape to freedom was shot by border guards in June 1989, and the wall ceased to function in November of the same year.

There were around some 5,000 successful escapes to West Berlin, and no doubt many failed escape attempts. There is an on-going argument about how many people died trying to escape to freedom - according to the Center for Contemporary Historical Research (ZZF) in Potsdam there were 136 confirmed deaths.

Much of Berlin remains a building site as the on-going costs of reunification as well as the East German economic and environmental legacy continue to trouble the finances of the reunified German state.