The smart meter roll out scheduled for 2015-2020 and the centrepiece of the government’s long term ‘solution’ for the energy market is just about the last major infrastructure project that the coalition would want to see hit trouble, think a Millennium Dome, on every street corner, complete with requisite upheaval. Many commentators have questioned the […]
Blackouts, who’s said what
A lot has been spoken about blackouts and the risk or otherwise of their occurrence, we’ve put together some of the most instructive comments from leading players in the debate including government, the regulator Ofgem, National Grid and market commentators. The contradiction is palpable, as is the sense that a lot of hope underpins the […]
Ofgem Plans New Interconnectors
Ofgem, the much maligned energy regulator and rarely the bearer of positive news, has announced plans to build new interconnectors between the UK and continental Europe with a view to cutting energy costs. The proposed interconnectors with France, Norway, Denmark, Belgium and Ireland, if all went to plan, would be built by 2020 and the […]
Big 6 Face New Freedom Of Information Disclosures
The Liberal Democrats have proposed the biggest change to the Freedom of Information Act since its formation in 2000 heralding a major new era of transparency for the Big 6 energy companies. Announcing the proposal Simon Hughes, the Lib Dem Justice Minister said: “I want to . . . open up the information about the way public services, and […]
Capacity Auction Lifeline for Gas-Fired Plant
£1tn. That’s the forecasted investment required to enable the recovery of the remaining North Sea Oil and Gas reserves. Oil & Gas UK the UK Offshore Oil and Gas trade body claims in a new report that in order to extract the potential out of the remaining reserves contained in the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS) a £1tn investment is […]
National Grid’s 2014-15 Winter Outlook
It’s finally here; the most eagerly anticipated Winter Outlook Report ever. Admittedly there is a short list of competition but there is no doubt that this latest report from National Grid – the owners of the main pipes and wires network that keeps the UK’s energy supply running – is a crucial one. With the […]
Ofgem Turn Market Forecaster, Badly
In a surprising prediction, “principles and not prescription” based regulator Ofgem have claimed, despite damning evidence to the contrary, that energy prices will fall in the future. The leftfield observation was made by Rachel Fletcher, Senior Partner at Ofgem who said: “There’s room for price cuts and you wouldn’t be expecting [energy] prices to go […]
Carbon Capture Storage Finally Arrives
Before the rise of fracking, and the renewed commitment to nuclear generation, the big white hope of the energy market was carbon capture and storage. For years it was rumoured as the next big thing, and now it is a reality. SaskPower the Canadian power company has opened the first large scale coal fired power […]
Fracking in the UK- Over Before it Started?
Oil prices are collapsing and in turn are pushing down linked commodity prices on the continent and prices at the pump closer to home but we’re unlikely to see short, medium or long-term downward pressure on energy prices in the UK. Not only do we in the UK not benefit from oil index linked gas […]
Cable Promises Small Business Lending Revolution
The much-vaunted proposal of Vince Cable, the Business Secretary in the coalition government to get the major banks to lend more to small business is faltering with no signs of life to suggest this is bedding in inertia. Cable explained: “The route of using big institutions as a lever didn’t work” and the government’s view […]