23/11/22 – Useful Links

Interesting links, articles, news and blog posts sent out to members on 23/11/22.

Text of Commons debate: Energy (oil and gas) profits levy – Parallel Parliament

22 November 2022. Text of Commons debate on Energy (oil and gas) profits levy:

Link: https://www.parallelparliament.co.uk/debate/2022-11-22/commons/commons-chamber/energy-oil-and-gas-profits-levy

News: BP declines to reveal how much ‘loophole’ saved it in windfall tax – Guardian Online

22 November 2022, Alex Lawson. MPs hear concerns that investment in North Sea oil and gas reduces the tax, effectively rewarding fossil fuels over renewables:

Link: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/nov/22/bp-declines-reveal-how-much-loophole-saved-windfall-tax

News: Europe’s biggest battery storage facility comes online near Hull – Edie.net

22 November 2022, Sarah George. The developers of a 98MW battery energy storage project in Cottingham, northeast of Hull, confirmed this week that it has been successfully energised. This makes it the largest facility of its kind in the UK and, indeed, in all of Europe:

Link: https://www.edie.net/europes-biggest-battery-storage-facility-comes-online-near-hull/

News: Cost of living: Energy suppliers failing vulnerable customers (Ofgem) – BBC News Online

22 November 2022, Kevin Peachey. Energy firms have been failing vulnerable customers, the sector’s watchdog has said, as people face a cold and costly winter:

Link: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-63704037 

News: The 1.5C climate goal died at Cop27 – but hope must not – Guardian Online

20 November 2022, Damian Carrington. Every fraction of a degree increases human suffering, so the fight to end the fossil fuel industry must ramp up:

Link: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/nov/20/cop27-summit-climate-crisis-global-heating-fossil-fuel-industry

News: Inside the ‘secretive’ tribunals where fossil fuel companies ‘steal’ from developing countries – Euronews

19 November 2022, Lottie Lamb. A system of ‘secretive’ tribunals is threatening global climate goals, more than 380 civil society organisations have warned:

Link: https://www.euronews.com/green/2022/11/19/inside-the-secretive-tribunals-where-fossil-fuel-companies-steal-from-developing-countries

News: COP27: Climate costs deal struck but no fossil fuel progress – BBC News Online

20 November 2022, Georgina Rannard. A historic deal has been struck at the UN’s COP27 summit that will see rich nations pay poorer countries for the damage and economic losses caused by climate change:

Link: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-63677466

Notice: Energy Bill Relief Scheme: non-standard supplies of energy – call for evidence – Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy

17 November 2022. Evidence sought from organisations who are unable to access the scheme because they are non-licensed suppliers of energy or supply energy to businesses in non-standard ways:

Link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/energy-bill-relief-scheme-non-standard-supplies-of-energy-call-for-evidence

News: Ofgem calls on energy suppliers to support non-domestic consumers – Current News

17 November 2022, George Heynes. Ofgem has made a statement calling on energy suppliers to ensure non-domestic customers are being supported and not taken advantage of amid the energy crisis:

Link: https://www.current-news.co.uk/news/ofgem-calls-on-energy-suppliers-to-support-non-domestic-consumers

News: Cost of bailing out failed firm Bulb Energy balloons to £6.5bn – City AM

17 November 2022, Nicholas Earl. Bulb Energy’s inglorious year-long stint in special administration has cost £6.5bn, according to the latest reports from the Office for Budget Responsibility:

Link: https://www.cityam.com/cost-of-bailing-out-failed-firm-bulb-energy-balloons-to-6-5bn/

Written and Oral evidence: ‘Decarbonisation of the power sector’ – BEIS Committee Inquiry

November 2022. Written and Oral evidence to the BEIS Committee Inquiry on ‘Decarbonisation of the power sector’ published:

https://committees.parliament.uk/work/6717/decarbonisation-of-the-power-sector/publications/

News: ‘Failure’: 3 damning findings about Ofgem’s regulation of the energy market – Yahoo News

13 November 2022, James Cheng-Morris. As gas and electricity bills have spiralled, energy regulator Ofgem has faced growing criticism for its role in the cost of living crisis over the course of the year:

Link: https://uk.news.yahoo.com/damning-findings-ofgem-regulation-energy-market-142336371.html

News: Ofgem must review supplier of last resort process, says Westminster body – City AM

13 November 2022, Nicholas Earl. Ofgem has to review the administration process for suppliers, with households set to foot a £2.7bn bill to clean up the energy market, warned a leading Westminster body of MPs:

Link: https://www.cityam.com/ofgem-must-review-supplier-of-last-resort-process-says-westminster-body/

Report: Capturing the carbon opportunity: Making carbon capture and storage a reality for UK businesses – The University of Manchester

November 2022. Policy@Manchester launches this joint report which demonstrates shared ambitions between academic research from The University of Manchester and the views of businesses on implementation of CCS technology and infrastructure:

Link: https://www.policy.manchester.ac.uk/activities/capturing-the-carbon-opportunity/

News: ‘Explosion’ in number of fossil fuel lobbyists at Cop27 climate summit – Guardian Online

10 November 2022, Ruth Michaelson. Oil and gas industries have 636 representatives at Egypt conference – a rise of more than 25% on previous year:

Link: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/nov/10/big-rise-in-number-of-fossil-fuel-lobbyists-at-cop27-climate-summit

News: Carbon emissions from fossil fuels will hit record high in 2022 – Guardian Online

11 November 2022, Damian Carrington. ‘Bleak’ findings come from report at Cop27 that notes ‘no sign’ of urgent cuts needed to stop climate breakdown:

Link: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/nov/10/carbon-emissions-from-fossil-fuels-will-hit-record-high-in-2022-climate-crisis

News: Pressure mounts on energy giants as National Grid’s profits soar 50% – Evening Standard (Yahoo News)

10 November 2022, Michael Hunter. Soaring profits at National Grid and plans for a major payday for shareholders at British Gas owner Centrica today piled pressure on the energy industry is do more to support vulnerable customers and avoid blackouts this winter:

Link: https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/pressure-mounts-energy-giants-national-120747094.html

Press release: Global agreement in green tech will open doors for UK PLC – Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy and The Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP

11 November 2022. The UK government announces over £65 million investment to help speed up the development of new green technologies:

Link: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/global-agreement-in-green-tech-will-open-doors-for-uk-plc

Research briefing: Local consent for fracking – House of Commons Library

9 November 2022. A Westminster Hall debate has been scheduled for Tuesday 15 November at 9.30am on local consent for fracking:

Link: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cdp-2022-0201/