Interesting links, articles, news and blog posts sent out to members on 23/05/22.
Press release: Offshore Wind Champion appointed as £160m floating offshore wind fund opens for expressions of interest – Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy and The Rt Hon Kwasi Kwarteng MP
20 May 2022. Further acceleration of government ambitions for UK offshore wind sector:
Update: RIIO ED2 Open Hearings March 2022 – Transcripts – Ofgem
20 May 2022. In March 2022, as part of Ofgem’s enhanced engagement process, they held Open Hearings with each of the six distribution network operator companies to discuss their final business plans for the Electricity Distribution RIIO-2 price control covering the period 2023 to 2028:
Link: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/riio-ed2-open-hearings-march-2022-transcripts
News: Hinkley Point C delayed by a year as cost goes up by £3b – BBC News Online
20 May 2022. The nuclear power station being built at Hinkley Point will start operating a year later than planned and will cost an extra £3bn, EDF has said:
Link: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-61519609
Call for evidence: Decarbonisation of the power sector Inquiry – Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee
May 2022. BEIS Committee – Inquiry. Currently accepting evidence until Thursday 30 June 2022:
Link: https://committees.parliament.uk/work/6717/decarbonisation-of-the-power-sector/
Formal meeting (oral evidence session): Energy pricing and the future of the Energy Market – Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee
24 May 2022. Meeting details, 11.15am public start time:
Link: https://committees.parliament.uk/event/13596/formal-meeting-oral-evidence-session/
News: National Grid posts £4bn profit amid soaring electricity and gas prices – City AM
19 May 2022, Leah Montebello and Nicholas Earl. Energy transmission giant National Grid has announced an 11 per cent uptick in underlying operating profits to £4bn, powered by spikes in electricity and gas prices:
Link: https://www.cityam.com/national-grid-post-4bn-profits-amid-soaring-electricity-and-gas-prices/
News: Locational pricing could save £30bn by 2035, finds Energy Systems Catapult – Current News
18 May 2022, Molly Lempriere. Locational pricing could save £30 billion by 2035, according to a new study from the Energy Systems Catapult (ESC), commissioned by Octopus Energy:
News: Green levies should be taken off energy bills to ease costs, says think tank – City AM
18 May 2022, Nicholas Earl. Green levies should be scrapped from energy bills and shifted on to general taxation to reduce the burden on households, argues the Centre for Policy Studies (CPS):
Link: https://www.cityam.com/green-levies-should-be-taken-off-energy-bills-to-ease-costs-says-think-tank/
News: EU reveals its plans to stop using Russian gas – BBC News Online
19 May 2022, Jonah Fisher. The European Commission has given more details on how it plans to end Europe’s dependence on Russian fossil fuels:
Link: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-61497315
Government Response to the Committee’s Seventh Report of 2021–22 – Decarbonising heat in homes:
– Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee
17 May 2022. The Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee published its Seventh Report
of Session 2021–22, Decarbonising heat in homes (HC 1038) on 3 February 2022. The Government response was received on 23 April 2022 and is appended in this report:
Link: https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/22252/documents/164775/default/
Written evidence: Energy pricing and the future of the Energy Market Inquiry – UK Parliament
17 May 2022. BEIS Committee – Energy pricing and the future of the Energy Market:
News: Ofgem to consult on setting the price cap quarterly – Current News
16 May 2022, Molly Lempriere. Ofgem has launched a consultation into whether the default tariff price cap should be set every three months, instead of every six:
Link: https://www.current-news.co.uk/news/ofgem-to-consult-on-setting-the-price-cap-quarterly
News: Energy bills shake-up plans to smooth price rises – BBC News Online
16 May 2022, Dearbail Jordan. Household energy bills could change every three months under new plans aimed at avoiding price shocks:
Link: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-61462584
News: Energy watchdog backs carbon storage with licensing round plans – City AM
15 May 2022, Nicholas Earl. The UK’s fossil fuel watchdog has unveiled plans for a licensing round to support carbon storage, as the oil and gas industry seeks to reduce its environmental footprint to reach net zero carbon emissions over the next three decades:
Link: https://www.cityam.com/energy-watchdog-backs-carbon-storage-with-licensing-round-plans/
News: Cost of living: Labour to call vote on windfall tax for oil and gas companies – BBC News Online
16 May 2022. Labour will call for a vote on Tuesday to introduce a windfall tax on oil and gas companies, saying it is shameful not to introduce the measure to help tackle the rising cost of living:
Link: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-61456268
Policy paper: Energy Act 2013: 5 year review – Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy
13 May 2022. Five-year review of the Energy Act 2013 which introduced a legislative framework for delivering secure, affordable and low carbon energy:
Link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/energy-act-2013-5-year-review
Research and analysis: Evaluation of the transitional arrangements for demand-side response: Phase 4 – Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy
13 May 2022. Findings from phase 4 of the evaluation of the transitional arrangements (TA) for demand-side response:
Research and analysis: Evaluation of the Contracts for Difference scheme – Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy
13 May 2022. A 3-phase evaluation of the renewable energy scheme:
Link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/evaluation-of-the-contracts-for-difference-scheme
News: Sizewell C: Government delays decision on nuclear power plant – BBC News Online
13 May 2022. The final decision on plans for a £20bn large-scale nuclear plant on the east coast of England has been delayed:
Link: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-61433821
Open consultation: Update to Green Finance Strategy: call for evidence –
Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, and HM Treasury
12 May 2022. This consultation seeks views and evidence from stakeholders to support the government in developing an update to the Green Finance Strategy, planned for publication in late 2022. Closes 11.45pm on 22 June 2022:
Link: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/update-to-green-finance-strategy-call-for-evidence
Notice: Heat Networks Zoning Pilot – Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy
12 May 2022. The aim of the zoning pilot is to understand how to develop heat networks in zones where they can provide the lowest cost, low carbon heat to the end-consumer through regulation, mandating powers, and market support:
Link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/heat-networks-zoning-pilot
Insight: Where will Britain’s future energy supply come from? – House of Commons Library
12 May 2022. Net Zero commitments, rising energy prices and calls for increased energy independence raise questions over where Britain’s future energy supply will come from:
Link: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/where-will-britains-future-energy-supply-come-from/
News: Decision on extending life of Hinkley Point B nuclear reactor to be made in just weeks – i news
12 May 2022, Richard Vaughan. Ministers looking to delay the decommissioning of nuclear reactors to help keep energy costs down:
Case study: Net Zero Programme: Looking beyond carbon emissions – Government Property Agency
11 May 2022. The Net Zero Programme was established to focus on the Government’s drive towards a carbon neutral society. One year on, we take a look at the its progress:
Link: https://www.gov.uk/government/case-studies/net-zero-programme-looking-beyond-carbon-emissions
Article: CO2 on Earth hits highest level in human history – Future Net Zero
10 May 2022, Kiran Bose. Data is now revealing that for the first time, carbon dioxide levels have peaked at 420ppm:
Link: https://www.futurenetzero.com/2022/05/10/co2-on-earth-hits-highest-level-in-human-history/
Article: Revealed: the ‘carbon bombs’ set to trigger catastrophic climate breakdown – Guardian Online
11 May 2022, Damian Carrington and Matthew Taylor. Oil and gas majors are planning scores of vast projects that threaten to shatter the 1.5C climate goal. If governments do not act, these firms will continue to cash in as the world burns:
Insight: What does the British Energy Security Strategy mean for new nuclear? – Stephenson Harwood Legal
10 May 2022, Jonathan Cripps. Around half of the UK’s existing nuclear power stations are due to be decommissioned by 2025. As the UK grapples with how to disentangle itself from dependence on Russian gas, the question of how this gap will be filled is becoming increasingly pressing:
Link: https://www.shlegal.com/insights/what-does-the-british-energy-security-strategy-mean-for-new-nuclear
News: New Energy Bill unveiled in Queen’s Speech to boost energy security – Current News
10 May 2022, Molly Lempriere. A new Energy Bill was announced today (10 May) as part of the Queen’s Speech, to help the UK build a more secure, homegrown energy system that is both cleaner and more affordable:
Research briefing: Fuel poverty in the UK – House of Commons Library
9 May 2022. Record energy price rises have led to concern that more families will be drawn into ever deeper fuel poverty. This briefing at how fuel poverty varies across the UK, policies to address fuel poverty, and stakeholder comment on the issue:
Link: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-8730/
News: Climate change: Airlines miss all but one target – report – BBC News Online
10 May 2022, Georgina Rannard. UK airlines have missed all climate targets set since 2000 except for one, a new report claims:
Link: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-61384377
News: Climate change: ‘Fifty-fifty chance’ of breaching 1.5C warming limit – BBC News Online
10 May 2022, Matt McGrath. The likelihood of crossing a key global warming threshold has risen significantly, according to a new analysis:
Link: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-61383391
News: Smart meter rollout hits 20 million milestone as installations pick up pace – Current News
9 May 2022, Molly Lempriere. The Data Communications Company (DCC) has hailed a new landmark in the rollout of smart meters, as the 20 millionth device was connected to its national network:
Decision: On establishing the Capacity Market Group (CMAG) – Ofgem
9 May 2022. The documents contain Ofgem’s decision, stakeholder responses to Ofgem’s Call for Input and the final Guidance for the CM Rules change process:
Link: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/decision-establishing-capacity-market-group-cmag
News: Scottish Power boss urges Sunak to take swift action on energy bills crisis – Guardian Online
9 May 2022, Alex Lawson. Keith Anderson says fresh support package is vital before households hit by further increases in October:
Article: Ofgem frees up £27 million to charities fighting fuel poverty – Energyst
6 May 2022, Alban Thurston. Energy regulator Ofgem is offering £27 million to fuel poverty campaigners & energy co-operatives in a bid to assist vulnerable homes caught in the ‘heat or eat’ dilemma caused by this year’s two liftings of the energy price cap:
Link: https://theenergyst.com/ofgem-frees-up-27-million-to-charities-fighting-fuel-poverty/
Report: Review of Ofgem’s regulation of the energy supply market – Ofgem
6 May 2022. This report contains the findings of an independent review commissioned by Ofgem’s Board into the root causes of the recent supplier failures and specifically, into how regulation of the industry played a part:
Link: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/review-ofgems-regulation-energy-supply-market