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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Barred Wobbler" data-source="post: 1621437" data-attributes="member: 69394">The UK's peak demand is something like 66GW, not 36. For the wind to give 10% of that, then it would be capable of producing 6.6GW of output, when it is needed most.The DTI figures the last time I looked were recording an actual output of about 26% of installed capacity (the WEA were claiming 30%).If the consented capacity is 12GW as you say, then their output would only be 3.1GW, less than 5% of peak demand.If peak demand is not met, then blackouts will follow. Peak demand occurs in the winter, often at times of high pressure coupled with cold temperatures and sustained low wind-speeds, such as in February of this year when there was high pressure, calm air and hard frosts over most of the country for ten days or more.The real-time demand as I type this is around 47GW, rising towards a peak of around 50GW this evening, as it did last night.<a href="http://www.nationalgrid.com/uk/Electricity/Data/Realtime/Demand/demand24.htm" target="_blank">http://www.nationalgrid.com/uk/Electricity/Data/Realtime/Demand/demand24.htm</a>Incidentally, the current installed UK capacity total is only 3.9GW, which would give an output of only 1.0GW (1.5% of our demand).A further 2.0GW are registered as "under construction", which when complete will add anothe 1% of demand to this.A further 9.4GW is described as "in planning".</blockquote>