A new trade body Energy UK launches today, meant to provide a “strong voice” for the gas and electricity sector. It is formed after a merger of the Association of Electricity Producers (AEP), the Energy Retail Association (ERA) and the UK Business Council for Sustainable Energy (UKBCSE).

The group now represents around 70 organisations, including ‘Big Six’ firms such as Centrica and EDF Energy, ‘green’ energy firms like Ecotricity and Good Energy, as well as manufacturers, electricity boards and energy consultancies.

David Porter, former head of the AEP and Acting Chief Executive of Energy UK said: “There are critical decisions to be made about the country’s energy future and we intend to be right at the heart of the national debates.”

Boosting “investor confidence in the UK” is top of the list for the new group, said Mr Porter, while at a time when the public opinion of energy firms has taken a battering, he signalled a key priority would be to “improve the reputation of the industry among its customers”.

The United States is putting forward laws to limit carbon pollution from new power plants which some are suggesting could effectively rule out new coal plants in the USA.

Under proposals for the first Clean Air Act standard from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), any new coal and natural gas power plants will have to take into account their greenhouse gas emissions before they are built.

Previously President Obama has taken the flak from some Republic politicians for his “war on coal”. Critics of this week’s development suggest the EPA rules will increase American electricity bills.

But senior Democratic Senator Tom Carper has defended the proposals as “a step in the right direction” to curb “harmful emissions” while others claim new rules will help US businesses increase their “competitiveness”.

A hot air balloon carrying three people collided with power lines yesterday evening. The Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue service was called to the scene on Sunday at 18.10 when the balloon became entangled on a pylon near the village of Bozeat in Wellingborough. Once the live power lines had been earthed, the firemen were able to rescue three passengers including the pilot, according to reports.

Energy consultants are riding a wave of economic growth, according to agents at the Bank of England.

The Bank today released its latest monthly report on business conditions in the UK, which notes energy consultancy services were a “source of growth”.

This was against a wider backdrop of growth in the services sector, with the report stating: “A rising number of firms reported that they were expanding into new markets, or were exporting for the first time.”

It is the first time energy consultancy has been singled out in the report, which is a mixture of figures and anecdotal evidence which is gathered by the Bank’s agents across the UK.

Energy firms need to show they are “socially useful” to regain the public’s trust, according to the head of EDF Energy.

Vincent de Rivaz, the French energy firm’s Chief Executive made the claims in a speech yesterday at Exeter University.

Drawing a parallel between the word ‘utility’ and the energy company’s role in Britain’s “economic recovery”, he said: “The word utility echoes the French word utile meaning that is is something that is not just a function, it is a socially useful function.

“Our challenge as an energy company then is to make clear the service we provide to you, to the public, as a socially useful company.”

Speaking just a week after the one year anniversary of Japan’s Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster, Mr de Rivaz suggested as a nuclear power operator it is critical to be “socially accountable”.

However the energy boss also suggested this was tricky in modern society with wide access to the internet and social media.

He added: “We also realise we live in a digital age, a time when we have access to huge amounts of data and opinion – a major challenge for building trust.”

Europe currently leads the world with the amount of wind capacity it has, according to US researchers. With close to 100,000 megawatts of wind capacity, the continent leads “all regions of the world”, says an analyst at the Earth Policy Institute.

Across the globe, wind energy developers built a record 41,000 megawatts of electricity generating capacity in 2011.

This brings the world total to 238,000MW – enough to meet the home electricity needs of 380 million people at the European level of consumption, says the EPI.

However China blew the strongest, according to the figures, making the largest annual wind power gains for the third year running. J. Matthew Roney at the EPI suggests by 2020, China’s “wind bases” will be more than the entire world had at the close of 2008.

Burglars have been tricking their way into London homes by pretending to be working for a gas maintenance firm.

Wearing high visibility vests and “something resembling” fake identity cards, the bogus gas engineers targeted homes in Islington, Romford and Muswell Hill, according to National Grid.

The thieves claimed they were from North London Gas Alliance (NLGA). The National Grid is warning people not to let gas engineers into their property without checking their official identity card.

Steve Mason, NLGA Operations Manager said: “All National Grid and North London Gas Alliance employees carry official identity cards which they should show to people before entering their property.

“People should not let anyone in if an official identity card is not available for inspection.”

He added: “People should examine the identification card thoroughly before admitting anyone and if they have any concerns they should call our helpline on 0800 096 5678 to verify the caller’s identity.”

The North London Gas Alliance is a partnership between National Grid and Skanska, which carries out vital gas mains replacement work.

If anyone thinks they are being burgled they should call the police immediately on 999.

Anyone with any information regarding the bogus engineers should contact police on 101.

The cooling towers of an old power station in Kent have been demolished to make way for a new electricity interconnector with Europe.

The site of the former Richborough Power station will be the home of a new energy park, where the National Grid plans to build Britain’s first ever electricity link with Belgium.

It will be a joint project between National Grid and Elia, the Belgian transmission system operator.The 1000MW undersea cable between Zeebrugge and Richborough would allow power to flow in both directions.

Kevin Lee, business development manager at National Grid said: “Interconnectors are going to have an important role in making sure the country has security of supply and bringing about a competitive European electricity market.”

The project aims to be in commercial operation by 2018.

Environmental charity Friends of the Earth has claimed the UK energy suppliers are planning to build too many gas plants, which could produce unnecessary extra emissions.

According to its analysis up to 9GW of new gas-fired electricity generation could come on line by 2016, nearly twice the additional 4.9GW the Government projects may be needed by 2020. Gas is regarded as a bridging technology by many, for the flexible generation it provides.

Paul Steedman, Friends of the Earth’s Energy Campaigner said the UK had the wrong approach: “Gas dependency is a costly, polluting dead-end – to guarantee affordable energy in the long run we must switch to clean British power and slash energy waste.”

Friends of the Earth wants a ban on unnecessary gas plants unless the Government introduces tougher limits on carbon pollution from power stations because it risks locking the UK into a future of high-carbon electricity generation.

A DECC spokesman said planning extra generation was vital: “While there is significant capacity with consent or in the pipeline, some of this may not come forward – to keep the lights on, the UK may need new, as yet unconsented, gas plant.”

As much as 19GW of old fossil fuel and nuclear plant is due to come offline this decade, which DECC sees as reason enough to give the go ahead to more gas.

The DECC spokesman added: “In the short-term, they will be needed to replace older fossil fuel and nuclear retirements to ensure energy security. In the long-term, they will be needed to provide backup to increasing amounts of intermittent generation. We are taking action to secure supply with radical reforms to the electricity market, which will keep the lights on and bills down.”

BIS is calling for evidence from businesses affected by rising energy prices as a result of climate change policies to help the Government target funds from the Energy Intensive Industries (EII) Package.

Last year it was announced energy intensive users will get a £250 million package from the Government to counter rising electricity bills. It is seen as compensation for the carbon price floor planned in the electricity market reform.

Some government estimates predict energy and climate change policies may add up to 28% on average electricity prices paid by large energy intensive users by 2020.

Business Secretary Vince Cable said the move would help British manufacturing firms remain “competitive”.

While Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Davey said: “It’s important that we are alive to adverse impacts felt by energy intensive industries which face tough competition overseas.

“The evidence we are calling for today will help us to target the financial support we have available to those businesses that need it most.”

Once the Government has enough information it will consult on policy in September this year and hopes to put this into practice in Spring 2013.

Businesses interested in providing evidence are asked to visit www.bis.gov.uk/carbon-price-floor-compensation