Interesting links, articles, news and blog posts sent out to members on 03/09/25.
Policy paper: UK Emissions Trading Scheme (UK ETS): policy overview – Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
29 August 2025. The role of the UK Emissions Trading Scheme in UK decarbonisation and how the UK ETS Authority is developing the scheme:
Link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-emissions-trading-scheme-uk-ets-policy-overview
Editor’s Pick: ‘The last thing we need is a UK data centre expansion’ – Environment Journal
26 August 2025. As one of the hottest and driest summers in living memory finally wanes drought conditions remain. This is just one reason behind the first ever legal challenge to a planned hyperscale digital storage facility:
Link: https://environmentjournal.online/energy/the-last-thing-we-need-is-a-uk-data-centre-expansion/
Article: Miliband clashes with Starmer over net zero project – The Telegraph Online
27 August 2025, Szu Ping Chan. Energy Secretary at odds with Downing Street over flagship data centre development in Teesside:
Link: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2025/08/27/miliband-clashes-with-starmer-over-net-zero-project/
Article: Cabinet Office appoints Octopus Energy chief as new non-exec – Civil Service News
20 August 2025, Tevye Markson. Greg Jackson appointed for three-year term as a non-executive board member:
Analysis: The Guardian revealed that a private electricity company has spilt three million litres of oil over the past 15 years into Southern England –Canary
14 August 2025, James Wright. The Guardian revealed that a private electricity company has spilt three million litres of oil over the past 15 years into Southern England. UK Power Networks owns such cables where the oil inside them helps keep them cool. But as the cables get older, they begin to leak that oil into the environment. The cables were mainly developed in the 1950s-70s under public ownership and the company hasn’t replaced them:
Link: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2025/08/14/privatised-energy-leaks/
Research and analysis: Impact of growth of data centres on energy consumption – Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
14 August 2025. This report examines how the growth of digital services, and the data centres that support them, affects energy consumption in the UK:
Link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/impact-of-growth-of-data-centres-on-energy-consumption
Article: Ofgem calls for new independent body to manage energy system – Institute of Sustainability & Environmental Professionals
August 2025. Ofgem has recommended that a new independent body be created to manage the UK’s electricity system and lead the country’s transition to net-zero emissions:
Link: https://www.isepglobal.org/articles/ofgem-calls-for-new-independent-body-to-manage-energy-system
News: Cut electricity bills by scrapping green levies, say Labour MPs – The i-paper
August 2025. MPs want to see levies to help fund renewable energy projects and provide support for lower-income households to be moved onto gas bills or into general taxation:
Link: https://inews.co.uk/news/environment/cut-electricity-bills-scrapping-green-levies-labour-mps-3874544
News: Here’s how Elon Musk plans to dominate household energy in the UK – The i-paper
August 2025.
Link: https://inews.co.uk/news/elon-musks-plans-dominate-household-energy-uk-3859180