this post was submitted on 26 Mar 2024
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Chief executive John Pettigrew said the grid was becoming "constrained" and "bold action" was needed to create a network able to cope with "dramatically" growing demand.

"Future growth in foundational technologies like artificial intelligence and quantum computing will mean larger scale, energy-intensive computing infrastructure," Mr Pettigrew said.

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[–] [email protected] 12 points 8 months ago (1 children)

due to [...] quantum computing.

[x] doubt

[–] fcuks 2 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (1 children)

how come doubt? Amazon, IBM, Google, and Microsoft have already launched commercial quantum-computing cloud services.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 8 months ago (1 children)

so far there is no significant quanum advantage, i.e. most things you can do on a quantum computer, you can do cheaper on a regular computer. Therefor there is not much value in quantum computing. Therefor I doubt we will see a significant surge in power-use due to quantum computing in the next 10 years

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBLVtCYHVO8

[–] fcuks 2 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

The video you posted is from 2022, the same lady has another one from 9 days ago and 13 days ago which are much less anti

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALwrwbnWLjo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2hn9kQHi_s

Going by this timeline wonder how her content will be framing quantum computing in the next couple of years

haha let alone what she'd be posting or quantum computing will be able to do within your /the OP's article's 10 year timeline

[–] [email protected] 9 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Who owns our grid? Since the profits for the supply go private.

Is the grid private too or do we just pay to subsidise the profits of the energy companies?

[–] [email protected] 5 points 8 months ago (1 children)

National Grid PLC own the grid infrastructure, and are a private company cos Thatcher.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 8 months ago

It's a little more complicated than that.

At Distribution level, there are a variety of companies that each serve a specific region. These companies own and operate the networks from LV to 132kV) WPD was brought back under UK ownership and is now called NGED - National Grid Energy Distribution - which is the only distribution operator that's a part of National Grid PLC. NGED cover south Wales and parts of England stretching east from there.

At Transmission level (132kV and above), it's owned by NGET - National Grid Energy Transmission - for England and Wales, with SPT and SSE owning the transmission infrastructure up in Scotland.

The operator is NGESO, National Grid Energy System Operator. They operate the entire transmission network of the mainland UK, covering England, Wales and Scotland. They manage generation and demand and ensure they match. Apparently they're changing their name to NESO, in line with being made fully independent of National Grid.

But yeah, all of these (including all the DNO's I didn't list) are private companies.

The bigger issue however is that our consumption market is completely detached from the generation market. With renewables taking over, our electricity should be getting much cheaper - generators no longer have any fuel costs to pay, which was always the dominant cost over the life of the plant. Instead, we get consumer sellers advertising "We use 100% renewable energy!" as if that's justification to pay a little more and go with them.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Add to this the increase of electric cars.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 8 months ago (1 children)

It includes that.

"Demand on the grid is growing dramatically, and forecast to double by 2050 as heat, transport and industry continue to electrify."

[–] [email protected] 3 points 8 months ago

Thank you. I missed that part.