Strategy, policy & regulation

SSE casts doubt on Labour’s 2030 green grid goal

Labour set to stick to Sizewell C finance deal

Weekend press: Cost of nationalising Britain’s energy grid could be paid for in a decade

This weekend after party conferences from Labour and the Conservatives, pledges and promises have been scrutinised in the news including the potential cost to re-nationalise the energy grid; elsewhere, proposals by water companies to raise bills to invest record sums face backlash while smart metering gets a boost.

Defra updates on emissions reduction targets

The Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) has updated on its own performance towards reducing greenhouse emissions. Defra had set itself a target of reducing its overall GHG emissions by 50% by 2025 (from a 2017/ 18 baseline). According to the department’s annual Greening Government Commitments performance update, as of the end of March 2023 levels had reduced by 30%.

Generator faces £24m penalty for licence breach

Former Thames, Ofwat and Drax bosses join Ofgem board

Ofgem has appointed five new non-executive directors to bolster its board. The appointments include former employees of the likes of Ofwat, Thames Water and Drax, as well as an ex-government adviser and a former member of the European Parliament.

Ofwat sets out details of customer service licence condition

PR24: South East facing ‘unprecedented’ network pressure

PR24: South West to investigate peak charging

CCC: Net zero row back ‘likely to increase bills’

Labour moots green social tariff

Wholesale market reform could deliver “permanent” social tariffs by scrapping existing “pile it high, sell it cheap” retail arrangements and enabling low income customers to benefit from cheaper, renewable electricity, Alan Whitehead has claimed. In a fringe meeting at the Labour Party conference, the shadow energy security minister outlined what he acknowledged is the opposition’s “not finalized” thinking on reforms to the retail and wholesale markets. If elected, an incoming Labour government’s “day one” priorities would include fixing the electricity grid and setting up its Great British Energy public company, he said.

Market Stabilisation Charge will expire in 2024

Severn Trent adopts Kraken

Only 2% of British businesses investing in hydrogen

Ofgem proposes bill hikes to cover record supplier debt

Yorkshire embarks on £10m wastewater upgrade

Yorkshire Water has begun £10 million upgrades to a wastewater treatment site in Dronfield to remove phosphorus from treated effluent and improve water quality in the river Drone. The project is part of a wider investment of £500 million to reduce excess nutrients entering waterways across Yorkshire's region.

Labour would hand FSO greater powers

A Labour government would hand greater powers to the Future Systems Operator (FSO) and give its public-owned GB Energy company scope to be lead investor on projects, Alan Whitehead has revealed. In a fringe meeting at the Labour Party Conference, the shadow energy security minister fleshed out the opposition’s reformation plans for the sector while ruling out nationalisation.

Managing regulatory risk in B2B energy

Mass electric heating is ‘delusional’, says union boss

Rate of EV charger installs ramps up