The grid, he said, paid about 150 million pounds ($205 million) over two weeks this month for this standby electricity typically, it pays about ВЈ20 million a week.Д«ritain also relies on the ability to import electricity via undersea cables from the continent. When the wind slows, the capacity of the system is tested. вЂњWe are in a transitional system at the moment,вЂќ said Rajiv Gogna, a partner at LCP, a consulting firm. In the first half of September, low wind speeds meant generation from turbines dropped precipitously at the same time a large number of gas-fired plants were idled for maintenance. These trends left BritainвЂ™s energy system exposed in recent weeks. Analysts say the country is piggybacking on Europe for gas storage, but that could be a risky strategy after Brexit. The British government has also allowed companies to close gas storage facilities in recent years, which leaves Britain with little margin in case of supply disruptions or unexpected surges in demand. Pollution-spewing coal-fired generators are being closed, and aging nuclear plants are being gradually shut down. This policy has reduced carbon emissions, but sources like wind and solar can vary. вЂњThe big thing that it has made me realize is that we still have a huge way to go,вЂќ said Cathy McClay, director of trading at Sembcorp Energy UK, a power provider.Д«ritainвЂ™s climate goals are partly to blame.Д«ritain is pursuing increasingly ambitious targets to reduce emissions to tackle climate change. Among other things, it shows that the transition from emissions-causing fossil fuels like coal and natural gas toward renewable sources like wind and solar, while necessary to tackle climate change, remains a work in progress vulnerable to glitches. Previously, a spokeswoman said: вЂњOur mission is to fulfill contractual obligations to our clients, not to вЂreduce the concernsвЂ™ of an abstract market.вЂќДЄ number of factors are playing out in the scramble for energy, which seems most acute in Britain. Gazprom, the Russian gas company, did not immediately offer a response to the recent criticism. The International Energy Agency, the Paris-based watchdog, on Tuesday also called on Russia to increase gas supplies to Europe, saying it would be вЂњan opportunity for Russia to underscore its credentials as a reliable supplier to the European market.вЂќ Granholm said that вЂњwe are united with our European allies in making sure you get adequate, affordable gas supplyвЂќ this winter. For years, Nord Stream 2 has been a lightning rod in U.S.-Russian relations, although President Biden has agreed to give up objections to the project. There are suspicions that Moscow is using the gas markets to pressure Europe to sign off on a giant new pipeline to Germany called Nord Stream 2. The United States and its allies, she said, вЂњhave to be prepared to continue to stand up when there are players who may be manipulating supply in order to benefit themselves.вЂќ Granholm, appeared to take aim at Russia, the largest supplier of gas to Europe. On Wednesday, the crisis became geopolitical as the U.S. The consequences of the turmoil are unfolding every day, as factories shut down, ministers huddle with business leaders to find solutions and idled coal-burning plants are pressed into service to provide more power. Soaring natural gas prices have roiled Britain and the rest of Europe, leading to price spikes in the cost of electricity that are raising utility bills for consumers, putting pressure on energy suppliers and disrupting industries.

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