News

UKPN plans to bolster capacity at 98 substations

Outgoing CCC chair slams lack of leadership on emissions

Climate Change Committee (CCC) chair Lord Deben has slammed lack of leadership across the political spectrum on tackling emissions, while the organisation’s chief executive has accused the government of “ducking” the issue. Lord Deben was speaking at the launch of the CCC's annual report which warned that the government is not doing enough to meet its net zero targets.

Grants of £1k needed to heat fuel-poor homes this winter

More balanced gas and electricity bills ‘essential’

Ofgem clears path for Rough to operate until 2030

Consent granted for 500MW solar and storage project

Thames Water CEO Sarah Bentley resigns

Thames Water's chief executive Sarah Bentley has stepped down with immediate effect after three years in the role. Cathryn Ross and Alastair Cochran will jointly assume the interim role of chief executive while the board finds a permanent replacement.

Ofwat approves £2.2bn accelerated spending

Ofgem confirms need for transmission upgrade in Yorkshire

Time-of-use tariff growth will squash demand diversity, warn network leaders

The arrival of market-wide half-hourly settlement (MHHS) will bring an end to demand diversity and create new overloading risks for power networks, industry leaders have told Utility Week. An industry veteran and energy flexibility expert said that if MHHS leads to widespread uptake of new time-of-use tariffs – as many anticipate – then the price signals associated with these will substantially flatten out variations in demand and could lead to network overloads.

Broadening of industrial energy saving scheme mooted

Firms benefiting from the government’s flagship industrial decarbonisation scheme could be broadened out to include new sectors such as horticulture. The changes will feed into the third phase of the IETF, which provides grants to industries wanting to reduce their carbon footprint by investing in more energy efficient equipment.

South East summoned to urgent Ofwat meeting

Innovations sought to unlock flexibility markets

The government has launched a dedicated fund to develop technical solutions which can unlock “untapped” flexibility markets. The £2.6 million Flex Markets Unlocked Innovation Programme has been established to find technical solutions “that can facilitate system-wide coordination, standardisation, and revenue stacking across multiple flexibility markets [to] allow a more diverse and competitive marketplace, unlocking flexibility”.

Ofgem checks risk exclusion from insulation help, EUK warns

Struggling households could be denied support for energy efficiency upgrades due to irrational eligibility checks, Energy UK has warned. In particular, the trade body has criticised the need to provide council tax bills when applying for support under the government’s flagship Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS).

On the move: National Grid, CCC, Sellafield

Our latest round-up of appointments across the utilities sectors includes an interim chair at the Climate Change Committee, as well as new chief executives at Sellafield and the parent company of Cambridge Water and South Staffs Water.