REPORT: “The transition to Net Zero is asking a huge amount from local communities; more than we have ever asked of them before”. That was the warning from Phil Watson, strategic energy projects lead at Suffolk County Council, in a…
Longread
Analysis, interviews, thought leadership
INTERVIEW: Beverley Gower-Jones, managing partner, Clean Growth Fund
by New Power • • 1 Comment
Beverley Gower-Jones has a good record in picking innovation. That is why after 15 years at the helm of Carbon Limiting Technologies, which included managing the government’s Energy Entrepreneurs Fund, she is now managing partner at the Clean Growth Fund. Her…
Longread: take a deep dive into offshore cable risks
by New Power • • Comments Off
Our expanding electricity network – and its expanding pool of owners – has raised new questions about how to allocate and manage risk relating to the cables on which the system depends. New Power took a deep dive into cable…
From the archive: OFTO performance examined
by New Power • • Comments Off
In February 2017 New Power looked at early perfomance of Ofto connections. As Ofgem prepares to announce a shortlist of bidders to take ownership of the Burbo Bank Extension connection, Janet Wood takes a look at what the new owner can…
Local power, local price?
by New Power • • Comments Off
In an article first published in the January 2018 issue of New Power Report, Janet Wood looked at how locally electricity should be priced. Three years on, and given NGESO’s need to manage rising constraint costs, is it time to…
NGESO ready to pay for ‘circuit breaker’ assets to reduce mounting constraint costs, BEIS considering options for long term storage
by New Power • • 2 Comments
NGESO wants industry input on how to manage a fast-growing element of electricity costs: constraint paymenst that arise because the network is limited in how much power can be transferred. These ‘constraint’ costs now represent around 40% of so-called ‘use…
Repowering wind and solar: are open-ended grid connections anti-competitive?
by New Power • • Comments Off
Are landowners who want to get a better deal from hosting renewables stuck in a ‘power export’ trap? Politicians and energy industry commentators are both saying the same thing: the UK needs more wind power. And although offshore projects…
INTERVIEW: Sebastiaan van Dort, head of energy at BSI, says standards can underpin a more flexible and inclusive energy sector
by New Power • • Comments Off
Sebastiaan van Dort, associate director & head of energy at BSI, says standards are the simple way to get innovation and confidence into the energy industry. And a ‘flex’ approach means standards can developn alongside their use cases A…
NGGT probes gas emergency arrangements’ link with power generation, fearing ‘no robust methodology’. Are gas engine fleets ‘free riding’?
by New Power • • Comments Off
The changing nature of assets connected to the gas network present “a very real problem that needs a solution” in the event of a gas supply emergency, National Grid Gas Transmission (NGGT) said at a meeting that kicked off examination…
Shifting sands of network options present conundrum for competitors and consumers
by New Power • • Comments Off
The NGESO’s annual Network Options Assessment (NOA), published in January, set new network investment in train, with a recommendation that 41 new-build options proceed, at a total cost of £13.9B. The recommendation would see £183M invested this year. But the decision also highlighted the potentially…