When considering the effect of George Osborne’s Spending Review, leave aside the messages on climate change and low carbon, if you can, important as they are a few days before those issues are debated in Paris. The withdrawal of funding…
News
Interested in community energy? Here’s some projects urgently looking for investors
by New Power •
Community Energy schemes have been rocked by government’s decision to make energy projects ineligible for the tax reliefs offered under the Enterprise Investment Scheme. The cut-off for eligibility is the end of November, but there are still some schemes out…
News
Retaining onshore wind subsidy could save £30M annually, says Citizens Advice, and taxpayer funded energy efficiency ‘should be priority’
by New Power •
Excluding onshore wind from bidding for support available for low-carbon generation could add £30 million per year to the cost of meeting UK targets, and it should have access to a bigger subsidy pot than offshore wind, according to new…
Perspective
Government’s consultation on energy-related bureaucracy must give businesses a real voice
by New Power •
Wayne Mitchell, director of markets & innovation at Npower Business Solutions, says it’s a myth that businesses do not care about energy and climate policy. But he says they need a simpler and more stable framework to be able to…
Editor's blog
Requiring more gas storage is premature: an ‘energy storage’ obligation could tap existing flexibility in heat, cooling and power more cheaply
by New Power •
I have heard some interesting discussions about gas storage recently. The industry has argued for several years that we need more storage. And, the argument runs, since the market doesn’t seem to support an expansion, customers should provide a subsidy.…
Longread
Price spikes, not blackouts, are the biggest risk this winter
by New Power •
We are not at high risk from blackouts this winter. That is the strong response from New Power’s panel of energy industry experts in a survey carried out in October. Experts said that the market would respond, to provide power when needed. But they said part of the reason was that prices would “spike” – shooting up for periods that could be as short as half a hour – and that could have dramatic effects on industry players, possibly driving them into financial distress.
Flash update
November’s ‘cash-out’ changes could hit small generators, PPAs, I&C supply contracts
by New Power •
Ofgem’s decision to reform cash-out rules following its Electricity Balancing Significant Code Review could see supply contracts with industrial and commercial customers reopened, and result in more expensive power purchase contracts (PPAs) and potential penalties for small power generators, New…
Longread
As air quality concerns grow, should we be giving diesel generation subsidy support and tax breaks?
by New Power •
Janet Wood asks: is power market support too tilted towards diesel? The big surprise of the inaugural Capacity Market (CM) auction was the large number of small gas and diesel-fuelled plants that sought – and won – contracts, mostly…
Longread
National infrastructure: will our pension funds invest? The view from PIP’s Mike Weston
by New Power •
Chancellor George Osborne said he wanted to see £20 billion invested by UK pension funds in UK infrastructure. It has not been that simple, Pensions Infrastructure Platform (PIP) chief executive Mike Weston told Janet Wood, but PIP is ready to invest. The message to energy projects is: come and talk to us