The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has set out plans for a stronger role for Ofgem in scrutinising government policy and driving through industry change, saying that systemic problems with industry governance have caused “very substantial” detriment for customers. The…
Author Archive for New Power
RWE restructuring hits Npower; company warns of further decline in 2016
by New Power • • Comments Off
Npower parent RWE is ramping up plans to restructure and streamline its conventional power generation and UK supply businesses. In a move expected to cause 2,500 job losses in UK supply, the company has stepped up a planned €2 billion…
Competition on capacity, CfDs and services is the energy market’s future. Excluding low-cost renewables will drive up costs
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Gordon Edge of RenewableUK says a recognition of how the new energy market works presents a solution to the government’s dilemmas on Contracts for Difference Government objectives for energy policy are that it must be secure, sustainable and affordable; decarbonisation…
Crowdfunding renewables: portable solar (storage included)
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Renovagen has launched its second equity crowdfunding campaign on Crowdcube. The company wants up to £1 million to fund its “Roll-Array” flexible, rollable, transportable solar farm units. The units include energy storage. The company says its technology rolls out “18kW…
More debate on energy industry codes: Electralink wants ‘simplified and competitive approach’
by New Power • • Comments Off
Elizabeth Lawlor, head of governance services at ElectraLink, sets out the company’s proposed approach to reforming code governance The UK energy market is historically complex which is mirrored within supporting industry codes. Naturally, SmartestEnergy’s opinion piece in October’s New Power,…
MPs: energy policy shifts have hit investor confidence and will raise consumer costs
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MPs: energy policy shifts have hit investor confidence and will raise consumer costs
Winning £2 billion benefit of storage ‘requires joint action on market frameworks’
by New Power • • Comments Off
Effective use of storage could reduce the costs of managing a highly variable electricity system by £2.4 billion per year by 2030, a new report has concluded. But to use storage most efficiently the interests of a wide variety of…
Capacity Market reform promises emergency auction for 2017/18, plus action on dirty diesels and non-delivery
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An emergency Capacity Market auction will be held in January for delivery in winter 2017/18, the Department of Energy and Climate Change (Decc) said in a consultation on changes to the CM intended to improve security of supply and bring…
New auto-switch services launch: will they change the game for energy customers?
by New Power • • 4 Comments
Fine ambitions on increasing customer switching run into one problem: it’s a tedious business, and one that can leave you uncertain, on switching sites, whether you really have got a better deal. Janet Wood spoke to Flipper and Swuto, both hoping to take the pressure off domestic consumers – and EnergyConnect which is hoping to get small businesses more active.
Engie’s new focus: low-carbon, regulated businesses and ‘customer solutions’
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Engie has announced a three-year transformation plan intended to refocus the company on low-carbon activities (which will provide 90% of pre-tax earnings by 2018), regulated activities (expected to be more than 85% of pre-tax profit by 2018) and “integrated customer…