Interesting links, articles, news and blog posts sent out to members on 0803/23.
News: Energy bills: Call to let people have prepayment meters removed – BBC News Online
7 March 2023, Colletta Smith & Dearbail Jordan. A leading charity has called for an amnesty on prepayment meters that would allow people to get them removed from their homes:
Link: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-64861186
Consultation: proposals to transform local energy systems and create a new energy flexibility marketplace – Ofgem
1 March 2023. Ofgem is consulting on the next steps in establishing a more decentralised, decarbonised and dynamic energy system in Great Britain:
Press release: Decarbonising the power sector – National Audit Office
1 March 2023. The government risks not meeting its ambition to decarbonise power by 2035 because it lacks a delivery plan, the NAO warned. With its attention focused on the recent energy crisis, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) has made little progress with a long-term delivery plan for all electricity to be generated through clean energy sources:
Link: https://www.nao.org.uk/press-releases/decarbonising-the-power-sector/
News: New energy price cap prompts call for help on bills – BBC News Online
1 March 2023, Kevin Peachey. The amount suppliers can charge households for energy has been cut by regulator Ofgem but bills will still rise in April as government help eases:
Link: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-64748135
Open consultation: Managing radioactive substances and nuclear decommissioning – Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
1 March 2023. Views sought on policy proposals for managing radioactive substances and nuclear decommissioning. This consultation closes at 11:45pm on 24 May 2023:
News: Ofgem seeks views on non-domestic retail market after concerning reports – Energy Live News
1 March 2023, Dimitris Mavrokefalidis. Britain’s energy regulator is seeking views from stakeholders after concerning reports highlighted the challenges being faced by non-domestic customers:
News: Carbon capture: What is it and how does it fight climate change? – BBC News Online
1 March 2023. Jonah Fisher. The UK government is set to announce where a ground-breaking power station will be built. The carbon capture plant is designed to stop most of the carbon dioxide (CO2) it produces being released into the atmosphere:
Link: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-64723497
Report: Decarbonising the power sector – National Audit Office
1 March 2023. This report sets out the main challenges that DESNZ faces to decarbonise power. The NAO has assessed the progress DESNZ has made since it set the ambition to decarbonise power by 2035 and examined how well it is set up to oversee future progress. The NAO uses offshore wind and nuclear power as examples of zero and low-carbon generation to illustrate some of the points:
Link: https://www.nao.org.uk/reports/decarbonising-the-power-sector/
News: Campaigners fear government will drop onshore windfarm promise in England – Guardian Online
28 February 2023, Fiona Harvey. Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall leads letter to secretaries of state voicing concerns government will renege on promises to lift ban:
National statistics: Annual fuel poverty statistics report: 2023 – Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy
28 February 2023. Fuel poverty statistics report for 2023 (2021 and 2022 data):
Link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/annual-fuel-poverty-statistics-report-2023
News: ‘Entirely inadequate’: Campaigners warn de facto ban on new onshore wind farms could remain in place – Business Green
28 February 2023, James Murray. Over 100 business leaders, campaigners, and academics call on Ministers to ensure new planning rules genuinely ease barriers to new onshore wind farm projects:
News: Energy industry responds to new energy price cap – Energy Live News
27 February 2023, Dimitris Mavrokefalidis. The energy industry has raised concerns over the rising rates of the government’s Energy Price Guarantee scheme:
Link: https://www.energylivenews.com/2023/02/27/energy-industry-responds-to-new-energy-price-cap/
News: ‘Public wants 2030 ban on petrol cars lifted’ – Future Net Zero
27 February 2023, Kiran Bose. More than half of the British public want the government to cancel its plans to ban the sale of all new petrol and diesel vehicles in 2030:
Link: https://www.futurenetzero.com/2023/02/27/public-wants-2030-ban-on-petrol-cars-lifted/ m
News: Energy giants could be forced to return millions of pounds held in customer accounts – The Independent
27 February 2023, Kate Devlin. Exclusive: ministers look at returning money built up in accounts as households brace for another energy bills hike:
Written statement (Department for Business and Trade): Energy Intensive Industries electricity support package: – They Work For You
24 February 2023. Kemi Badenoch, Ministerial Statement:
Link: https://www.theyworkforyou.com/wms/?id=2023-02-24.hcws581.h&s=electricity
News: British Industry Supercharger: Government to cut green energy surcharges for heavy industry – Edie.net
23 February 2023, Sarah George. Industrial sectors including steelmaking will soon see their energy costs cut, with the UK Government bringing forward new measures to shield them from certain charges typically related to electricity and renewables:
News: British public still find heat pumps too expensive and complicated, Lords warn – Edie.net
22 February 2023, Sarah George. A Lords Committee is criticising the UK Government for poorly designing a grant scheme giving homeowners £5,000 towards heat pumps, arguing that the technology is still “impossible” to access for low-income homes:
Link: https://www.edie.net/british-public-still-find-heat-pumps-too-expensive-and-complicated-lords-warn/
News: Heat pumps: Lords slam ‘failing’ green heating scheme – BBC News Online
22 February 2023, Esme Stallard. The government’s flagship green heating scheme has been described as “seriously failing” by a Lords inquiry:
Link: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-64710225
News: T-4 Capacity Market Auction Cleared An All Time High Price – Enappsys
February 2022, Fintan Devenney. Following a declining presence of the GB nuclear fleet and an increased growth of renewable generation against the background of the energy crisis, this year’s T-4 Capacity Market Auction for delivery year 2024-25 has cleared at an all-time high price of £30.59/kW/year following the previous record in the T-1 auction of £75/kW, with the biggest story being the many batteries that secured long term contracts for their capacity at this record price:
Link: https://www.enappsys.com/t-4-capacity-market-auction-cleared-an-all-time-high-price/