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The UK’s energy infrastructure “requires attention”, while the water sector is “adequate for now”, according a report by the Institute of Civil Engineers (ICE).
ICE’s ‘State of the Nation’ scorecard awarded energy a C minus, meaning this area “requires attention”, although this was an improvement on 2010, when energy was given a D.
The narrowing gap between the supply and demand for energy was blamed for the low mark.
ICE called on the government to enact the secondary legislation to implement the electricity market reforms (EMR) by the end of this parliament, “establishing long term investor confidence and entrenching cross-party support for electricity decarbonisation”.
Water was given a grade B, as it was in 2010, meaning the sector is “adequate for now”.
ICE vice president Keith Clarke said: “Clearly there are some difficult decisions ahead regarding just how resilient the UK should be, and also what networks can and should operate 24/7 in what conditions.
“We can then plan more effectively – avoiding costly unplanned disruptions – and adapt. Management of the public’s expectations on availability during adverse conditions will need to form a key part of this process.
“The onus is on Government to make these choices for public sector infrastructure, and it must also build on its efforts to provide the right regulatory incentives to improve resilience within private sector infrastructure.”
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