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Some content on this page was disabled on March 17, 2025 as a result of a DMCA takedown notice from Guardian Media Group. You can learn more about the DMCA here:
Energy in Demand - Sustainable Energy - Rod Janssen 
Unfortunately, in common with many high profile people, Mazzucato relies on others (usually unpaid interns) to do her research & there were various amusing errors in the article (700 tonnes of water to cool the ChatGPT servers – well yes it would be recirculated water – 700 tonnes is a 9 mtr cube of water). Lithium, yes at the moment mined in South America, but the Norwegians recently discovered they have 50% of the world’s reserves. Lucky old Vikings eh! In fairness she talked about “less extractive business models” – which is economist-speak for not focusing only on profit. I don’t dislike Mazzucato, she often speaks sense. But. Taking the example of her recent book (The Big Con) it was packed to the rafters with errors (Hoover US president in 1947? – don’t think so) & shows a failure to proof read (to detect simple errors made by interns). In turn, this begs the question… what else does she get wrong? I posted the above into the Guardian. True to their neo-liberal form, they deleted it.
She also fails to ask the right questions. Data centres, energy guzzlers. OK, why not reuse the ++30C heat? (95% of the elec is turned into heat) This could be up-graded (via heat pumps) and used to heat adjacent buildings, greenhouses etc etc. Mazzucato does not know enough to ask these questions.
Later in the article she strays into territory that I know a great deal about – power networks in the UK and references another Guardian article, which is mostly descriptive with the journo failing to ask basic questions and mostly covers symptoms (we have an overloaded network… yes…&???) rather than causes.
I have written a much longer article on this subject but can summarise. The problem in the UK is that they are taking a Karl Popper/piecemeal approach to adopting the land-based transmission network for off-shore wind. They need to build a new, off-shore network. But it won’t happen because OFGEM, run by imbeciles (bean counters and lawyers) take a neo-libtard via of things – so it’s a little bit here or there. Won’t work & there is an absolute storm developing in rural areas against “more pylons” And I’m going to help the people that don’t want pylons on their land. Alternatives exist but only if neo-libtard theology is abandoned. Again, Mazzucato doesn’t know enough to even get close to the problem. & for the avoidance of doubt: I work with an Austrian economist – he sticks to economics, I stick to elec eng and we work well together. If Mazzucato wants to opine on elec networks, she might want to do the same
I was surprised to see Mazzucato write about this. What you write is very interesting.