01342 332057
info@utilityweek.co.uk
The UK could secure two thirds of its electricity needs from renewable energy sources by 2030 at no extra cost to meeting half of total demand. This is according to the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC), which cites the plunging cost of solar and wind power in recent years as a spur to go “further, faster without hitting consumers in the pocket”.
4 years ago
Sir John Armitt, chair of the National Infrastructure Commission, has urged the Chancellor to provide greater clarity on the dates and scale of Contracts for Difference auctions as the first step in the government’s long-term post-pandemic recovery package.
Former Bank of England governor and now UK climate finance envoy Mark Carney has backed an emissions trading system as the best option for pricing carbon pricing, while warning that it is impossible for countries to “self-isolate” against climate change.
5 years ago
The government’s climate change watchdog has urged Boris Johnson to exploit the recent plunge in the price of oil by introducing a long-term hike in carbon taxes. The Committee on Climate Change said the current situation provides “an opportunity to offset changes in relative prices without hurting consumers”. It has also called for plans for a “large scale” national low-carbon infrastructure programme to be accelerated and for the UK’s energy networks to be “significantly strengthened”.
Energy minister Kwasi Kwarteng has revealed that the government is considering setting a target for storing carbon trapped through carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology.
The government has pledged the construction of at least one gas-fired carbon capture and storage power station by 2030 and announced a new grant scheme for low-carbon heating. But, in his first Budget new chancellor of the exchequer Rishi Sunak has disappointed environmentalists by freezing the carbon price. Utility Week assesses the main takeaways for the sector and gauges reaction.
We can’t afford to keep supporting slow and expensive nuclear technology when there are better, quicker and cheaper alternatives that will ultimately benefit consumers, says Good Energy's Kit Dixon
It will be a fascinating study in environmental politics, but what could Climate Assembly UK mean for utilities?
The government has promised fresh investment in carbon capture and nuclear energy in its first post-election Budget next year, according to briefing notes accompanying the Queen’s Speech.
