Industry News Roundup October 2020
Friday 30/10 – The government publishes a call for evidence on the electricity licence exemption scheme – this affects suppliers, generators and networks companies. The Solar Trade Association writes to Chancellor Rishi Sunak urging the Treasury to exempt solar and battery storage from business rates.
Thursday 29/10 – The Committee on Climate Change announces it will now be called the Climate Change Committee, as well as confirming the release date for its advice to the government on the Sixth Carbon Budget (2033-37) as 9 December. The UK has set carbon budgets which legislate the level of carbon emissions the country is allowed to emit. A Freedom of Information request finds that 57% of UK councils have received no government funding for electric vehicle charging infrastructure over the last 12 months.
Wednesday 28/10 – The Scottish government announces it will aim for 11GW of offshore wind by 2030, increasing its ambition for the technology.
Tuesday 27/10 – The Scottish government announces that families of disabled children in Scotland will receive a new heating benefit this year.
Monday 26/10 – bp announces that it will be the operator of an offshore carbon transport and storage infrastructure project in the UK North Sea.
Friday 23/10 – Energy Minister Kwasi Kwarteng extends the decision deadline for whether to grant development consent to the proposed Wylfa Newydd nuclear power plant to 31 December 2020.
Thursday 22/10 – Energy efficiency measure installations under the ECO scheme rose 17% from July to August, new statistics show. Foresight enters into a joint venture with Island Green Power to develop 700MW of UK solar PV projects.
Wednesday 21/10 – The three-year Comprehensive Spending Review is replaced by a one-year Spending Review, in order to prioritise the response to COVID-19. EDF’s West Burton C open cycle gas turbine power station is granted development consent by the Planning Inspectorate.
Tuesday 20/10 – The Energy Price Cap will run until at least the end of 2021, the government announces. A group of 42 Conservative MPs calls on the government to submit a net zero aligned nationally determined contribution to the UN ahead of COP26.
Monday 19/10 – Ofgem announces plans to implement more robust measures to protect customers who are struggling to pay their energy bills this winter. A proposed East Ayrshire wind farm is given the green light by the Scottish government.
Friday 16/10 – At its Winter Outlook Seminar, Ofgem outlines its decision to put development of policy work on liquidity intervention on hold until further notice. Coire Glas, the UK’s largest newly planned hydro pumped storage scheme, is granted consent by the Scottish government.
Thursday 15/10 – Ahead of the implementation of governance arrangements for the Retail Energy Code (REC) in September 2021, Ofgem is consulting on proposals for the REC interim version 1.1 – REC concerns processes to enable faster supplier switching. Energy UK holds its first ever virtual annual conference. National Grid Electricity System Operator’s Winter Outlook Report for 2020-21 finds the ESO expects to be able to manage the system and continue reliably supplying electricity through all weather conditions this winter.
Wednesday 14/10 – The government launches an open consultation on proposals to extend the Warm Home Discount scheme by one year. National Grid Electricity System Operator predicts tight margins on the electricity grid during the next few days due to factors including weather, import and export levels and availability of generators over periods of the day with higher demand.
Tuesday 13/10 – A new report from Energy UK argues that moving energy policy costs, especially those relating to energy efficiency, off bills and onto general taxation “would offer a fairer approach”. SSE confirms the sale of its 50% share in Ferrybridge and Skelton Grange.
Monday 12/10 – Drax announces that it has launched a coalition to develop projects that can remove CO2 and other pollutants from the atmosphere. International developer of utility scale solar and battery storage projects, Pathfinder Clean Energy (PACE) submits its first UK subsidy-free solar projects into planning.
Friday 09/10 – Ofgem appoints Scottish Power as Supplier of Last Resort for Tonik Energy following a competitive process – this means that all Tonik Energy’s customers will switch to Scottish Power. HSBC has outlined a plan to prioritise financing and investment that supports the transition to a net zero global economy.
Thursday 08/10 – The Oil and Gas Authority awards a carbon appraisal and storage licence to Eni UK Limited. Centrica announces that British Gas Business has signed a green energy supply deal with sports car manufacturer Lotus.
Wednesday 07/10 – Scotland must become the first UK nation to set out a net zero compatible plan, according to the Committee on Climate Change’s 2020 Progress Report to the Scottish Parliament. The Zero Carbon Humber Partnership submits a public and private sector funded bid worth around £75mn to accelerate decarbonisation in the UK’s most carbon intensive industrial region.
Tuesday 06/10 – Prime Minister Boris Johnson sets out new energy policy commitments in a speech at the Conservative Party Conference. Ofgem announces that Tonik Energy had entered the Supplier of Last Resort process, exiting the market, with around 130,000 domestic customers affected.
Monday 05/10 – Media reports suggest the Prime Minister is planning a major speech on wind energy. The Association for Decentralised Energy releases a new paper on the challenges facing the UK in retrofitting homes for net zero.
Friday 02/10 – The BEIS Committee launches an inquiry examining the path to decarbonising heating in homes on Friday 2 October. Ofgem consults on its proposals to issue Final Orders to seven suppliers for failing to pay £34mn in Renewables Obligations and Feed-in Tariff payments.
Thursday 01/10 – The number of Renewables Obligation Certificates (ROCs) that electricity suppliers are required to produce during the 2021-22 obligation period will be 0.492 ROCs per MWh in England, Wales and Scotland and 0.194 ROCs per MWh in Northern Ireland. The RO scheme is paid for by energy suppliers, who must do so by the end of October. BEIS launches its Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, which provides grants for public sector bodies to fund energy efficiency and heat decarbonisation measures.
Written By Graham Paul
