National Grid’s system operators are both doing a great job – in gas and electricity – balancing supply and demand and managing the system through the Coronavirus crisis. It is groundbreaking stuff. It’s not made any easier by the legacy…
Author Archive for New Power
System Operator seeks new options to manage low demand: negative capacity reserve and accessing distribution assets ‘on the table’
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National Grid ESO said that a ‘Negative Capacity Reserve’ was one option on the table to help manage expected prolonged periods of low demand over the summer due to Coronavirus measures. It asked industry members for their suggestions on new…
Environmental Audit Committee wants evidence on low-carbon innovation and offshore wind
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The Environmental Audit Committee has launched a new inquiry, Technological Innovation and Climate Change,considering how British innovation could tackle climate change, and is inviting written evidence. The UK is expected to exceed the target set out in the third Carbon Budget…
Selkie Project seeks tidal and wave developers – call for tenders extended
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Calls for tenders looking for two companies – a tidal energy developer and a wave energy developer – to join the SELKIE project have both been extended to 30 April. The Selkie project aims to improve the performance of marine energy…
Networks research hub offers £400k grant funding – call extended
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EPSRC Supergen Energy Networks has extended a call for expressions of interest for projects around resilience focused on climate adaptation, network achitectures or markets and regulation (the organisation’s three working groups).The call now closes on 22 April. The second Flex Fund…
Community energy enterprises make fast grants to Corona Crisis funds
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In the first week of the lockdown, a ‘collective’ of local energy enterprises mobilised £100,000 of Corona Crisis Funds to support those facing hardship in their communities. The community-owned enterprises were able to mobilise funds from by community-owned solar arrays quickly…
Aggreko offers gensets left idle by event cancellations for Covid-19 test stations
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Temporary power units that were earmarked for summer events like the Glastonbury festival have been offered ‘pro bono’ to power planned Covid-19 testing sites across the UK. But government would have to cover freight costs to move the units to…
Centrica cancels dividend, cuts operating costs, to navigate pandemic
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Centrica has cancelled a proposed 2019 final dividend payment of 3.5 pence per share as part of efforts to cut cash expenditure in the year by around £400 million, to provide flexibility to navigate the impacts of the pandemic. The company said…
Elexon acts on fears lack of access to read electricity meters could bog down settlements process
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Electricity industry body Elexon has agreed new flexibility measures in its processes, because suppliers who cannot get site access to read meters during the Coronavirus pandemic feared data errors could impede settlement of bills within the industry. Suppliers have to…
Small suppliers: which will ride the storm?
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Energy suppliers are under pressure at the moment, as they will be faced with customers who need a payment holiday. Small suppliers with equally small balance sheets may hit problems first. But a briefing by consultant Aurora yesterday suggested some small…