David Blackman

White paper ‘simply kicks the can down the road’

Ed Miliband has said the government still has “a long way to go” to show the requisite ambition on decarbonisation. While welcoming aspects of the Energy White Paper, he warned it left too many questions unanswered.

Work starting ‘immediately’ on NPS review

The government has promised to overhaul its planning policy framework for energy projects, which has not been updated for nearly a decade. The Energy White Paper, which was published on Monday, kickstarted a review of the energy National Policy Statement (NPS), which is set to complete by the end of 2021.

CCC stands out in climate policy blitz

White paper outlines UK ETS plans

Poll shows public find GHG ‘difficult’

Three quarters of people who tried to access the Green Homes Grant (GHG) have found it difficult to find a registered contractor, according to a new survey.

BEIS eyes ‘pot within a pot’ for marine energy

Kwasi Kwarteng has revealed that he is “very sympathetic” to giving wave and tidal energy its own “baby pot” within the Contracts for Difference auction process. However, the energy minister acknowledged that there is an issue, particularly within the Treasury, about the higher upfront costs of supporting marine technology.

CCC: Emissions cut of 78% needed by 2035

BEIS director of clean growth replaced

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS)’s director of clean growth is leaving to take a new role working with Tony Blair. Utility Week understands a replacement has been identified.

Local electricity pricing ‘would cut £2.1bn a year from system costs’

Wholesale electricity prices should be set locally instead of nationally, an influential right-of-centre thinktank has urged. The Policy Exchange has also called for reforms of both the Contracts for Difference and Capacity Market regimes.

‘Decarbonisation will be achieved at the edge of the grid’

Hundreds of thousands of jobs could be created - many in poorer areas that need them most - by taking a decentralised approach to energy investment, Stephen Fitzpatrick has said. The Ovo Group founder wants the government to shift its decarbonisation focus away from large-scale infrastructure and instead encourage private capital towards energy efficiency and decarbonised distributed infrastructure.