Draft laws to limit emissions from medium plants

New laws to limit the emissions of certain pollutants from medium combustion plants have been agreed. The provisional agreement by the Council and the European Parliament aims at improving air quality in the EU. It intends to cover medium combustion plants which includes those with a rated thermal input between 1MW and 50MW. However it […]

Majority of Brits worried about blackouts and higher energy bills

A new survey on the UK’s energy policy has revealed that 64% of the public is concerned about the possibility of blackouts and a staggering 93% are worried about higher energy bills. The poll of more than 2,000 people also found that more than half believe the Government should support construction of more renewable energy […]

UK losing chance to be “safe harbour” for renewables

The UK is losing out on the chance to be a “safe harbour” for renewable energy in Europe, according to a new report on the sector released by Ernst&Young today. Delays to the Energy Bill because of political infighting risk squandering the country’s “promising prospects”, suggests the analysts’ tenth anniversary edition of its Renewable Energy […]

Political intervention ‘main threat’ to utility companies

Political intervention through changes to energy policies is seen as the greatest threat to the future of power and utility (P&U) companies, a new poll suggests. Based on a survey of 110 P&U senior executives from 20 countries, the “fast-paced” change of regulations was highlighted as the highest priority of risk. Price volatility and access […]

Website lets you ‘build an energy policy’

A new website which lets energy end users ‘build an energy policy’ on how they handle power has just been launched. Energy users can browse policies and save ones they like the look of, similar to using an online ‘shopping basket’. Created by consultancy Amber Energy, the website sets out jargon busters for the electricity […]

ScottishPower adds voice to calls for ‘greater clarity’

The chairman of energy supplier ScottishPower and its Spanish owner Iberdrola has called for more guidance from Government to avoid energy shortages in the next few years. Ignacio Galan was the second Big Six energy suppliers to criticise the lack of clarity in British energy policy in the space of a few days. Scottish supplier […]

Davey denies “uncertainty” over nuclear

Energy Secretary Ed Davey yesterday denied there was any uncertainty over plans for new nuclear power and admitted the Government has had some “false starts” with a couple of its carbon cutting policies. The future of nuclear in the UK has appeared to hinge on whether the Government gives suppliers enough financial support in the […]

New inquiry to look at future UK energy supply

A new independent inquiry to investigate the future of electricity supply in the UK was launched yesterday. The ‘Future Electricity Series’ is a three-phase nine-month research, which will explore the three “pillars” of electricity supply – fossil fuels, renewables and nuclear – and what role they can play in meeting the Government’s objectives of providing […]

Guest Blog Filippo Gaddo: Bye cheap energy, hello charges

Another winter and another round of price rises. The Office for National Statistics blames most of the inflation for December on energy and food costs; consumer groups blame big energy companies and the Government is happy to chip in. Same old, same old, you could say – but not this time. Firstly, this isn’t temporary […]

John Hayes: Treasury and suppliers ‘not the enemy’

Energy Minister John Hayes tried to dispel the idea his department is in a head-to-head with the Treasury by declaring it isn’t the “enemy” in a recent interview. The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has appeared to be at odds with the guardian of the coffers over spending on renewable energy and fossil […]