Industry News Roundup March 2017
Friday 31/03 – IPPR claims that the deployment of heat networks could generate up to £22bn in private investment across the UK economy. The National Audit Office concludes that regulators in sectors that include energy and water must take further actions to support the increasing number of vulnerable consumers. Extra Energy comes bottom of Citizens Advice’s complaints league table for small business customers for the second quarter in a row.
Thursday 30/03 – Provisional BEIS figures show that the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions fell by 6% year-on-year in 2016. The International Renewable Energy Agency finds that last year was the strongest yet for new renewables capacity addition. The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) rules that Westinghouse’s AP1000 reactor is suitable for construction in the UK, following the completion of its Generic Design Assessment.
Wednesday 29/03 – The government confirms that it will soon unveil its latest assessment of the cost impact that energy policies are having on consumers’ bills. On the day that Article 50 is triggered, Energy UK calls for the UK to establish a relationship with the EU post-Brexit that facilitates the efficient flow of gas and electricity across borders to the benefit of consumers. Ofgem’s Forward Work Programme for 2017-18 sets out plans to reposition the regulator as an agent of change.
Tuesday 28/03 – The government lays in Parliament regulations that will exempt certain energy intensive firms from a proportion of the costs of the contracts for difference scheme. The Competition and Markets Authority says that requiring price comparison sites to show all offers in the market would likely be detrimental to competition, but that they should be clear about the coverage they offer. A group of 30 businesses calls on the government to commit to bold climate action.
Monday 27/03 – A new paper by Oxford economist Dieter Helm argues that responsibility for the smart meter programme should be transferred from suppliers to the distribution networks. Inenco finds that the inaccuracies on UK businesses’ energy bills could be costing firms £500mn collectively. The Office for Nuclear Regulation grants its first consent for the start of the construction at the Hinkley Point C nuclear power project.
Friday 24/03 – The government publishes a long-awaited report by consultancy Frontier Economics into the whole power system impacts of electricity generation technologies. SSE acquires an additional 12.5% in the Dogger Bank offshore wind development. Political party Plaid Cymru back proposals for an energy supply company for Wales as part of the solution to creating a low-carbon society.
Thursday 23/03 – The Institute of Economic Affairs finds that the UK’s departure from the EU provides an opportunity to phase out crude energy policy interventions and deliver lower energy costs. The Oil and Gas Authority awards 25 licences in the latest Offshore Licensing Round.
Wednesday 22/03 – Dozens of industrial and local businesses are to help balance the power system by turning off their equipment when demand is high in return for subsidies after an auction to deliver turn down demand-side response flexibility from businesses clears at £45/kW/year. The Committee on Climate Change urges Scotland to set interim emissions reduction targets that would allow it to increase its ambition for 2050. The Scottish government unveils a £10mn fund that will assist innovative energy projects in rural parts of country.
Tuesday 21/03 – Mainstream Renewable Power successfully appeals the decision to withdraw the renewables subsidy contract that was offered to its 450MW Neart na Gaoithe offshore windfarm. Good Energy announces that it will source power for its customers from offshore wind for the first time after signing an agreement with DONG Energy. A consultancy warns that a higher proportion of commercial properties than expected will be affected by the new Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards regulations.
Monday 20/03 – The International Energy Agency finds that limiting the rise in global mean temperature to well below 2°C would require an energy transition of exceptional scope, depth and speed. North Ayrshire Council says it is considering the creation of an energy “white label” arrangement that could deliver a low-cost energy supply option to households and businesses in the area. The government issues a discussion paper on the tax treatment of late-life oil and gas assets, focusing on the issues that could affect their transfer.
Friday 17/03 – Prime Minister Theresa May tells the Conservative Spring Forum that switching alone will not address the issues in the energy market and that government reform proposals will be set out shortly. The Scottish government grants planning consent to a floating wind demonstration project.
Thursday 16/03 – The Commons holds a debate on the Big Six’s recent energy price rises. The Committee on Climate Change projects that the cost to households of low-carbon policies will nearly double by 2030. Centrica Chief Executive Iain Conn warns that the imposition of a cap on retail energy prices would almost certainly remove choice from the market.
Wednesday 15/03 – Official research shows the UK gaining ground in efforts to cut its emissions in line with the Fourth Carbon Budget, covering the period 2023-27. Co-op Energy sets out plans to expand its support for community energy in the UK. The International Energy Agency reports that the implementation of OPEC’s agreement to cut oil production has had a solid start, driven by over-delivery by Saudi Arabia.
Tuesday 14/03 – Business and Energy Secretary Greg Clark labels recent price rises by the Big Six as unacceptable. Google’s DeepMind confirms it is in talks with National Grid over the possibility of using artificial intelligence to help balance the supply and demand of energy in Britain. Eurostat figures reveal that, among the EU member states, the UK is one of the furthest away from its 2020 target for deploying renewables.
Monday 13/03 – The government issues its Final Notice for the forthcoming auction for renewables subsidies, confirming the timetable and the price limit that will be set for each technology. Ofgem opens a consultation on its proposals for a review of the rules for electricity networks. The Association for Decentralised Energy launches a new task force to deliver a subsidy-free heat network market with strong protections for consumers. SSE announces that it will increase its standard electricity prices by 14.9%.
Friday 10/03 – INEOS announces that it has completed the acquisition of ENGIE’s shale gas portfolio in the UK for an undisclosed sum. A survey by Make It Cheaper finds half of all businesses spend £1,000 a month on energy. The government grants planning permission for a grid-scale hydropower energy storage facility to be operated by Snowdonia Pumped Hydros in Glyn Rhonwy in North Wales.
Thursday 09/03 – Ofgem publishes its Supplier Cost Index for January 2017 showing year-on-year the index was around 15% higher. The Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis warns that the capacity market, in its current form, is the weak link in the UK’s progress towards a low-carbon energy system. The Scottish government grants planning consent for a 50MW floating offshore windfarm off the coast of Aberdeen
Wednesday 08/03 – Chancellor Philip Hammond delivers the government’s spring Budget, again delaying decisions on a range of energy policy issues, including decisions on UK carbon pricing and the future low-carbon cost control mechanism. The London Assembly calls on Mayor Sadiq Khan to “speed up” the establishment of an energy supply company to give an alternative to the major suppliers.
Tuesday 07/03 – Oil & Gas UK finds that the UK offshore oil and gas industry is now better placed to compete for investment, following a two-year drive to improve efficiency, streamline costs and boost productivity. Energy efficiency suppliers in the non-domestic sector have an increasingly negative view of government action to support the industry, new research from Bloomberg New Energy Finance reveals. WWF Scotland reports that wind output in Scotland increased in February by over two-fifths compared to the same month last year.
Monday 06/03 – The IEA predicts that global oil supply may struggle to keep pace with demand after 2020, risking a sharp increase in prices. The Environment Agency confirms that around 3,000 of the roughly 10,000 organisations that qualify under the mandatory Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme have not submitted audits and are at risk of enforcement action. SSE says that a routine software upgrade has caused a small number of smart meters to display incorrect information on customer’s in-home displays.
Friday 03/03 – Citizens Advice analysis finds some of the poorest pensioners and families in Britain are paying a total of £250mn extra each year for being a loyal customer. The Oil and Gas Authority finds that North Sea oil and gas projects are typically late and significantly over budget. The Welsh government approves over £7mn of investment funding as part of an initiative to help local authorities improve their environmental credentials.
Thursday 02/03 – The government finds the proportion of dwellings in the highest energy efficiency rating bands increased considerably between 2005 and 2015. The Solar Trade Association calls for Chancellor Philip Hammond to intervene at the Budget to prevent significant business rate increases on solar panels. The government hails the completion of the Gateshead District Energy Centre, which will generate and supply low-carbon, low cost heat and power to local businesses - the first of its kind and scale in the North East.
Wednesday 01/03 – Ofgem consults on its minded-to decision to reduce the financial benefits enjoyed by small power generators. European environment ministers reach an agreement to support reforms to the EU’s carbon trading scheme. The Country Landowners Association warns that thousands of privately-rented homes in the countryside face wrongly being made illegal to let owing to flaws in the government’s energy efficiency policies.
Written By Graham Paul
