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There will be many readers glad to bid goodbye to 2013. It’s fair to say it has been a challenging year for the utilities industry, particularly energy, as we reflect on p12-14. But it’s not all been bad. The Utility Week Achievement Awards this week celebrated some of the individuals and teams who have kept the lights on and the taps running, and a big well done to all our finalists and winners, and thank you to our sponsors, judges and everyone who was there on the night. A particular well done to Northumbrian Water, which swept the board with an impressive four awards, including Utility of the Year, setting the standard for other water companies to follow. Congratulations also to our industry champion Basil Scarsella of UKPN.
There are other reasons to celebrate this festive season, too – and here are just a few of them:
1. No-one in the industry would have wished for energy bills to become a political football – but there is now the opportunity for a sensible debate about the energy trilemma of affordability, security and sustainability in the run-up to the 2015 election;
2. The water companies have stepped up to the challenge of PR14 and submitted their business plans on time and with more customer consultation than ever before;
3. RIIO too has been introduced with relatively little pain and WPD is set to forge the way on the fast track, with the networks between them pledging to save billions of pounds through innovation;
4. There were moments when it looked impossible, but EDF and the government finally struck a deal and the UK’s first new nuclear power station in a generation is set to go ahead at Hinkley Point C;
5. The Energy Bill was set to be signed off as Utility Week went to press. It may not be perfect, but it creates at last the environment to bring forward much-needed investment in new generation in 2014.
There’s an exciting 12 months ahead for all of us. In the meantime, enjoy the festive season and stay up to date with all the news at utilityweek.co.uk. We’ll be back in print on January 10.
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