A global recession is on the horizon - please read OP for mod warning

If the fault wasn't of significant impact then it may not have shown on powercheck - have found that out myself even though you can see ESB crew working!

However, it seems they are (thankfully) prepping for a difficulty winter.

Moneypoint is being gradually ramped up again using coal and is now providing for 10% of the current grid load today which has been slowly but steadily rising over the last two weeks. It and Tarbert (oil) can both store enough fuel onsite to run at full tilt for about 3 months, although who knows how efficient they are today given their age and that they were both effectively mothballed up until last year.

Some of the existing gas turbine plants can be run on oil as well as gas if needed but with the drawback of reduced output compared to gas as well as requiring more running maintenance (downtime).

Beyond that, though, let's hope it's a mild and consistently windy winter?

We're fecked if it's calm and cold and gas is heavily restricted as there's very little leeway on the electrical grid as it is before we even consider everyone reliant on gas heating plugging in electric radiators instead... I'd suspect already retired thermal plants like Poolbeg (the two chimneys), Shannonbridge or Lanesboro have long since been stripped of being serviceable again.

The point that you obviously missed is that there is a big supply side issue with gas, trying to subsidise it will only cause gas consumption to go up and then prices to match. Soon the impact of the subsidy is totally lost.

Poster literally made no mention of China, just the EU's own belt & road and that it would be used in the same way, resource expropriation.

You are the one engaging in whataboutery and bringing up the Chinese. Resource extortion is bad when China do it, its also bad when the EU do it. The only person who seems to have a problem reconciling these 2 positions is you.

Jesus I've heard it all now. I didnt realise that any time you criticise the west you also need to give equal criticism to the east too.

Can you point out the conspiracy theorizing for all in thread to see? You continually make these accusations of "Putinites", "kremlinites", "conspiracy theorists" but can you back any of that up? All we have is your own accusations backed up by nothing but your own paranoia.

Lo behold! The goalpost shifting commences!

I said you were calling people "Putinites", "kremlinites", "conspiracy theorists", I can even quote these words out of your posts for you if you like.

So now, what, you didnt say any of this? Or youre shifting the goalposts to say that you didnt use the word "agent" (which you brought up btw, I never mentioned it).

So is this EU lending intended not to be paid back? No? I didnt think so.

So its loans, with collateral, being graciously offered to struggling countries. Totally different from the Chinese loans, with collateral, being offered to struggling countries. I guess its because its white people doing the lending this time.

Yes, everything you dont like is a conspiracy theory. And the Chinese are evil dirty untrustworthy predators. Sounds a bit racist if you ask me. The EU can do as they please but China are a supreme evil. You sound like Donald Trump with this infatuation with the evil Chinese.

Much like the brady bonds of the 80s, when America stepped in to save half of South America because if they didn't Russia and the communists would have pushed their agenda there ie. Nicaragua

From family in the building sector things are really slowing down.

USA inflation for June: 8.8% was expected, in fact it was 9.1%. 75 BPS rise in interest rates looks a certainty