Yesterday at about 11am I ran away from my desk to put the washing on, vacuum the house and plug in anything that needs recharging. Work distractions apart, it’s unusual behaviour for me during the working day. But I suspect…
Editor’s blog
Towards 2032: switching gas customers to 100% hydrogen. How might it be done?
by New Power • • Comments Off
SGN owns and operates the low-pressure gas network in Scotland. That means that as of 2020/21, it operates more than 44,000 miles of pipework and delivers gas to 5.9 million homes and businesses. In response to a target from the…
New nuclear: RAB means customers will take the risk
by New Power • • Comments Off
In this week’s budget and spending announcements, funding of £1.7 billion was allocated to helping new nuclear get over the line to a final investment decision before the end of this parliament. Alongside that cash the government published draft legislation…
Conservative Party under pressure from business to deliver Net Zero policy – and devolve action locally
by New Power • • Comments Off
Andrea Leadsom MP famously asked whether climate change was real when she was appointed energy minister in 2015, and said “we have enough wind farms”. This year at the Conservative Party conference she put that question firmly to bed, describing…
Good neighbours – and HVDC – could help manage energy droughts in future
by New Power • • 1 Comment
The search for power supplies that will provide solutions to still, cold weather periods that leave the GB market short of supply at the same time as its neighbours, has driven more interest in gas storage and in a ‘further,…
Can Labour make a greener UK an election winner?
by New Power • • Comments Off
The news today that the government is considering shifting green levies from electricity to gas supplies is welcome in the long term. In the short term it needs careful planning – and a positive message for people already struggling with…
Charging points of SE London
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It’s a joy to meet friends for lunch again, but sometimes it seems they haven’t noticed how the world has moved on in the last two years. I was forced to point out how times were changing with one friend…
Ofgem has to push DNOs’ ED2 plans for EVs and low-carbon heat so they can go further and faster
by New Power • • Comments Off
Electricity distribution network operators (DNOs) are preparing their networks to accommodate a big step up in electric vehicles and heat pumps during the upcoming five-year price review period (dubbed ED2). The numbers have been highlighted in their draft business plans.…
Texas blackout continues to offer resilience lessons – consider the whole system
by New Power • • Comments Off
Among the more memorable presentations I have seen over years of energy reporting are those where the ‘whole system’ has come back to bite those who have done resilience planning that has been too tightly focused. A power plant control…
How new-build assets stack up against behaviour change is exactly the question we should be addressing in public planning
by New Power • • Comments Off
‘Relevant technical experts’ must respond this week to provide input to BEIS over how energy planning and national planning statements will take account of sustainability and the required Habitats Regulations Assessment. Six national planning statements that underpin planning decisions on energy assets were…