Strategy, policy & regulation

Thames explains £250m investment discrepancy

Pennon acquires solar sites

Pennon has acquired three solar PV generation sites that will add around 95GWh of renewable energy to the company's portfolio. This equates to 40% of Pennon's electricity usage as it works towards a target of 50% renewable self-generation as part of net zero ambitions.

Octopus calls for clarity on FSO remit and accountability

Hands-off approach to energy transition is ‘unrealistic’

ENW and UKPN join forces to combat fuel poverty

Water beats national average for customer satisfaction

ESO calls for faster decision on future of heat

Network competition threatens UK access to cable supplies

Government moves to introduce competition into delivery of electricity networks could make it harder for the UK to procure scarce capacity in the global supply chain, the industry has warned. Responses to the House of Commons environment audit committee’s inquiry into the transmission network, which have been published over the past fortnight, show widespread concerns about proposals in the Energy Bill to enable competition in networks that currently operate as monopolies.

SSEN: 50GW offshore wind target difficult without ASTI

The government pledge to develop 50GW of offshore wind capacity by 2030 would be very difficult under the Large Onshore Transmission Investment regime, Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks has said. The network operator said it strongly supported the Accelerated Strategic Transmission Investment (ASTI) framework as an alternative because it enables a tranche of transmission projects to be fast-tracked.

Time to end the binary debate about utilities ownership

Thames Water results: Five things we learnt

Thames Water has published its eagerly-awaited annual results, following a fortnight of speculation about its financial health. The headline figures show revenue grew by 4% to £2.3 billion during the past year but EBITDA dropped 3% to £1.1 billion. Also within the 183-page document were revelations about bonus payments, environmental provisions and shareholder commitments.

Thames Water overhauls bonus structure

Steering Ofgem

Weekend press: Ofwat faces criticism as water sector crisis deepens

Thames shareholders agree to inject £750m

Wylfa nuclear sale talks ongoing

The UK government has confirmed that conversations are ongoing about the sale of the Wylfa nuclear site. The site on Ynys Mon has been earmarked by the government as a prospective site for housing one of the next generation GW scale nuclear power plants.

CCC boss casts doubt on 600,000 heat pump target

It is “hard to see” how the ninefold increase required to meet the government’s 2028 target of 600,000 heat pump installations can be achieved, the Climate Change Committee’s (CCC) head of net zero has warned. David Joffe said government is “doing the right things but not necessarily with sufficient urgency”.

Ovo and EDF urged to waive ‘unfair’ exit fees

Consumers want higher standards of water service

Renationalisation of water not the answer, says Conservative MP

Conservative MP John Penrose has warned that the water sector “would be worse had politicians been in charge”. Instead of renationalisation, Penrose told Utility Week that a “cheaper, quicker, tougher” regulatory regime was required.