Industry News Roundup June 2021
Wednesday 30/06 – Energy and Climate Change Minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan has announced that from 1 October 2024, GB will no longer use coal to generate electricity, a year earlier than planned.
Tuesday 29/06 – Economics academics recommend to the government that it establish a department for net zero to provide the central leadership that the net zero challenge requires.
Monday 28/06 – The government says the delayed Net Zero Treasury Review final report will be published “later this year”.
Friday 25/06 – Citizens Advice’s latest edition of its energy star rating reveals a wide gap in the quality of customer service offered by suppliers in the top five compared to suppliers in the bottom five.
Thursday 24/06 – The Climate Change Committee publishes its 2021 net zero progress reports. The BEIS Committee launches an inquiry on net zero governance, which will examine the leadership and coordination which will be needed by government to deliver on the UK’s commitment to reach net zero by 2050.
Wednesday 23/06 – The government and EDF agree arrangements to deliver decommissioning of Britain’s seven Advanced Gas-cooled Reactor (AGR) nuclear stations, due to reach the end of their operational lives this decade. The Commons Industry and Regulators Committee announces that it will launch an inquiry into the work of the energy regulator Ofgem.
Tuesday 22/06 – A new report by thinktank the Aldersgate Group urges the government to use the UK’s current leadership position on climate change and its ongoing review of financial service regulations to embed environmental sustainability into the rules governing the UK’s financial system. National Grid Electricity System Operator and UK Power Networks confirm plans to assess how wind and solar farms can dynamically feed in power to provide voltage control services to balance the system and help the grid run more efficiently in a new joint project.
Monday 21/06 – The government launches the Green Heat Network Fund Transition Scheme – a capital grant fund worth £10mn that will be open to public private, and third sector applicants in England. The government announces that research and innovation infrastructure in the UK is set to receive investment worth £50mn.
Friday 17/06 – The Minister of State for Business, Energy, and Clean Growth, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, confirms that two Capacity Market auctions will be held in 2022. The UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC) releases a briefing paper about the implications of Brexit on the UK meeting its goals to achieve net zero emissions.
Thursday 16/06 – Chancellor Rishi Sunak launched the UK Infrastructure Bank in an interim form. Trade association Solar Energy UK calls on the government to commit to 40GW of solar generation by 2030.
Wednesday 15/06 – Several organisations and charities in energy and environment sectors have called upon the government to set out a Fair Heat Deal for consumers. EnergyUK’s latest switching statistics, show that 417,000 customers switched electricity supplier in May.
Tuesday 15/06 – The Scottish government publishes Scottish Greenhouse Gas statistics. US firm PPL Corporation completes the sale of Western Power Distribution (WPD) to National Grid.
Monday 14/06 – BEIS launched a consultation seeking views on the risk of carbon leakage due to the indirect emission cost from the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). The CBI calls on government to publish net zero strategy papers.
Friday 11/06 – The UK Atomic Energy Authority publishes an initial list of sites being considered for the Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production prototype fusion energy plant. Ofgem’s Consumer Perceptions of the Energy Market report for Q121 outlines that 73% of consumers were satisfied with their energy supplier in Q121, which is lower than that of previous quarters (76% in Q3 and Q420).
Thursday 10/06 – The Competition and Markets Authority launches an investigation into National Grid’s proposed £7.8bn acquisition of the Western Power Distribution network.
Wednesday 09/06 – Former energy secretaries Amber Rudd and Andrea Leadsom release a new report calling on the government to focus on the UK’s green unique selling points. HM Treasury announces a new independent expert group to advise on standards for green investment.
Tuesday 08/06 – The Commons BEIS Committee hear there are gaps in government energy efficiency policy. EDF announces plans to move Dungeness B nuclear power station in Kent into the defuelling phase with immediate effect.
Monday 07/06 – Plans for a new solar energy scheme to the east of Leeds are recommended for approval by the Leeds City Council’s planning officers.
Friday 04/06 – The government begins early market engagement to explore the approach to design, delivery, research and evaluation of the Alternative Energy Markets Programme. Ofgem responds to National Grid Gas’s setting of charges for the coming gas year and open letter on the future of gas transmission charging reform. It welcomes the decision to defer the recovery of £45mn of revenue from the 2021-22 financial year to 2022-23.
Thursday 03/06 – Mission Innovation launches the second phase of its initiative that will see its 23 member governments, including the UK, US, the EU and China, drive global investment in clean energy research, development and demonstrations. The Oil and Gas Authority says emissions from UKCS offshore installations fell 10% in 2020.
Wednesday 02/06 – The Scottish government launches a major new TV, radio and digital campaign to encourage people to tackle the climate emergency. A new report from Trades Union Congress ranks the UK sixth for G7 countries’ green recovery and job creation plans.
Tuesday 01/06 – New measures up for consultation concern contractual terms, brokerage cost transparency, dispute resolution and cooling off periods, among other issues. The “All Reasonable Steps” smart meter obligation on energy suppliers is extended by six months. Ofgem issues a statutory consultation on its microbusiness strategic review.
Written By Graham Paul
