Tesla bid to become a UK electricity supplier gets politically 'charged'

The leader of the UK's Liberal Democrat party is opposing a Tesla subsidiary being granted a license to supply electricity in Britain, calling Elon Musk a threat to national security.   Tesla Energy Ventures, a subsidiary of Tesla, made an application [PDF] in July to the Gas and Electricity Markets Authority for an …

[Anonymous Coward]

Tesla electricity UK

Will be supplying a fully featured 120V service within the next 2 years.

What? Why is everyone making that face?

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Tesla electricity UK

a fully featured 120V service

Perhaps they could call it "Washington DC".

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Tesla electricity UK

That would be an arc of history

[Jamie Jones]

Huawei

If Huawei is a security risk, Musk definitely is.

[cyberdemon]

Re: Huawei

Indeed, the last person I would trust with whatever API controls the remote-disconnect contactors in all UK smart meters is Elon flaming Musk

Setting himself up as an "energy supplier" he may well get access to that. And whether it is set up securely enough to restrict control to his own 'customers' only, is anyone's guess

Someone with access to that could do a LOT more damage than a rogue supplier of 5G modems, since a mass disconnect at an opportune moment could cause permanent damage to the national grid, and it would be very valuable to his mate, mad Vlad

[cyberdemon]

Re: Huawei

At least three Musk-ovites lurking around here I see

[Jamie Jones]

Re: Huawei

Count yourself lucky - I attracted 5 of them!

[Snowy]

Simple

They are going to buy energy cheap off their residential solar panels and battery systems for home users and sell it to the grid for a lot more!

[Eye Know]

So...

This sounds like the plot from Batman Forever.

[Ace2]

I mean, don’t let me tell you what to do from over here in Leftpondia, but my advice would be keep that duckfucker far away from your critical infrastructure.

[DS999]

Musk deserves this

He chose to stick not just his finger but his whole arm into US politics, and even in other countries like Germany. That has consequences, and one of them is that some countries may reject dealing with your companies because they don't like the guy who comes along with the deal.

[Fruit and Nutcase]

Tesla Energy Ventures - sales projection

That's what Musk was demonstrating back in January

[anothercynic]

I'd also vote that down...

Wherever Musk is involved, say no.

Simple.

[Androgynous Cupboard]

I agree with Ed Davey, Musk has done some harm in the UK. But I do find myself wondering why so many UL politicians still have a Twitter account? Including… Ed Davey

[cookiecutter]

because annoyingly...many of their constituents do.

until the british parliament nuts up & bans these US lie & child suicide factories from the UK, they have to deal with their voters on them

[IGotOut]

No they don't.

They could set an example and use Bluesky instead. The world can live without Twitter

It's really that simple.

[Doctor Syntax]

On the one hand I'd guess not many follow their local MP on X anyway so they wouldn't be influenced by a move to Bluesky themselves so the MP wouldn't be loosing anything by doing so. I suppose the real difficulties would be a fear that their local press wouldn't be able to find them and, for non-Conservative MPs, the name might send the wrong signals.

[sedregj]

The same Bluesky that has just banned an entire US state coz errrm "We can't think of the children" or something.

BS is not decentralized and can be fiddled with at the whim of a central authority.

[Fara82Light]

I understand your aspirations, however, Twitter is well established and has about 10x the number of users. I would also question how Bluesky hopes to remain in business.

[Fara82Light]

No it is not. Bluesky does not have sufficient users compared to Twitter.

[BartyFartsLast]

Because the party faithful will vote for you they aren't the ones you need to reach, it's the ones who are "undecided" and you don't find those in a cosy little echo chamber.

[MachDiamond]

Are they going to...

1. Adding generating stations (any type)

2. Build pylons and string wire (or underground)

3. Own and operate substations

4. None of the above

If it's #4, they'd just be yet another billing company and who needs that?

[BartyFartsLast]

Re: Are they going to...

Absolutely leaves a bad taste to defend musk but you realise there are other ways to get energy back into the grid and almost every UK home is connected so it could be solar and a grid tied inverter feeding energy back

[Roland6]

Re: Are they going to...

A home with solar is a “micro generator” - covered by point 1.

[BartyFartsLast]

Re: Are they going to...

Exactly so, whilst it's not "traditional" generation, it's still generation and as such they'd be adding capacity.

Now I need to burn this keyboard and washy hands

[MachDiamond]

Re: Are they going to...

"A home with solar is a “micro generator” - covered by point 1."

That's not what's being proposed. Besides that, Tesla just OEM's solar panels from companies in China and slaps their label on them. They aren't particularly good either. Tesla doesn't even report their solar sales numbers in their financial reports anymore and hasn't done for a few years.

[sedregj]

electric buggy-maker

buggy electric-maker

[Winkypop]

Distract him

Appoint him to the Duchy of Grand Fenwick.

That should keep him happy for a while.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Distract him

Personally I'd want him as unhappy as possible if he tries to get his fingers in anything outside the US.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Distract him

Nahhh, probably not.

I mean, they made it to the Moon in a spaceship powered by (very special) wine and shower heads...

[Roland6]

Shame the deadline for comments was August 22.

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/tesla-energy-ventures-limited-notice-application-electricity-supply-licence

Let’s hope Ofgem put UK interests ahead of US interests ..

[MachDiamond]

Re: Shame the deadline for comments was August 22.

"https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/tesla-energy-ventures-limited-notice-application-electricity-supply-licence"

The energy used to information delivered ratio on that article is negative. There's nothing there at all other than a statement of there being an application for a license, but no details what that means.

[Roland6]

Re: Shame the deadline for comments was August 22.

It seems to be a problem I have repeatedly encountered on UK government and its agencies consultations; documents only accessible during;g the consultation, once the consultation closes access is withdrawn…

[Anonymous Coward]

Insane!

This is insane. Isn't this competitive supply? I'm so sick of the stupid politics and it's not confined to politicians where people go against a potential benefit because they don't like the messenger. "Trump/Musk/Farage/Vance said it so it must be extreme right racist hate speech. It is ridiculous and there is no evidence they are "extreme" right, just right of center. Derangement Syndrome is out of control. Given the chance they might become extreme but Starmer's Labour is already heading there at pace.

[Fara82Light]

Re: Insane!

I would suggest that, as far as most people in the UK are concerned, Musk and his businesses are simply not welcome. It is a matter of decency and good taste, not politics.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Insane!

And what is the objection then in terms of what they do that other's don't etc?

[Fara82Light]

Not welcome

Blocking Tesla from operating in the UK is probably the right move. Further, I do not understand how an advocate of extreme political agendas can be allowed to operate a communications business in the UK.

[Combat Epistomologist]

Electric buggy?

It's not just a buggy, it's a buggy buggy.

[Anonymous Coward]

No

"LibDem leader Sir Ed Davey"

Who? I know the Lib Dems still exist but after throwing in with the conservatives and then fronting themselves as the remain party after brexit vote I thought they might have packed up their stuff and given up.

Why they think they should have any say over who can participate in the UK market I do not understand. Also why would we want to block someone from selling on the market? Tesla is not Musk and we shouldnt even stop him. If they provide something people want we will buy otherwise we wont.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: No

Tesla is not Musk and we shouldnt even stop him.

^Looks like another Musk AI candidate posting.

Let us know how your 'AI' offer goes.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: No

@AC

"^Looks like another Musk AI candidate posting."

Hell no I am still waiting for the bubble to burst. Not sure what that has to do with my comment though? We shouldnt ban someone from selling just because some people dont like them. Otherwise nobody would be able to sell anything

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: No

codejunky> I am still waiting for the bubble to burst.

LOL

[collinsl]

Re: No

We shouldnt ban someone from selling just because some people dont like them

How about because they interfered in our politics, threatened civil war on us, and recommended that our government be overthrown?

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: No

@collinsl

"How about because they interfered in our politics"

In what way? Like Obama and brexit or somehow worse?

"threatened civil war on us"

Did he? He is raising an army? Where?

"and recommended that our government be overthrown?"

The lots of people who post on forums need banning from business.

[ChodeMonkey]

Re: No

"The lots of people who post on forums need banning from business."

Madam, one should not be so hard on oneself. Take comfort that people who post on a forum with such regularity have no time to be in business!