This winter we have had four Electricity Margin Notices (EMNs), alerts from the electricity system operator NGESO to warn the market that the system operator wants more power available. Why is this so rare? It might help if it happened more…
Editor’s blog
Low demand over the bank holiday could help get the public into the smart electricity system
by New Power • • Comments Off
National Grid ESO is quick to show how it reacts to changes in power demand – TV pickups after big sporting fixtures (then), or on a Thursday evenings when people put the kettle on after their regular applause for the…
From the fax to the future: the system operator needs to take a big leap
by New Power • • Comments Off
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…
Small suppliers: which will ride the storm?
by New Power • • Comments Off
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…
Who pays the bill for home working?
by New Power • • Comments Off
So far the narrative over power supplies during the Coronavirus measures has been one of falling demand. That is because swathes of industry and commerce has been winding down. But how much increase in domestic demand is that masking? With…
UPDATED: EV chargers put a town on the map
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An interesting chat with the mayor of a small market town over the weekend. He was deeply concerned by the lack of EV charging points in the town. He wants to attract passing motorists to stop off, top up their…
The fifties had some good points, but do they seal the deal for hydrogen?
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Often in discussion on the future of gas, there is talk about the role of hydrogen. Sometimes that is put forward as more or less a ‘straight swap’ from natural gas. There is a concern though: people worry about having…
How the UK industry got ahead on decarbonisation: the role of luck, surprise and late mover advantage
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The UK is celebrating bringing forward the phase out of coal and the plunging level of carbon emissions from the power sector. But as I have covered the sector over the years, I have noticed that it’s not always the…
Ofgem sets out decarbonisation ‘Action Plan’ – but is it playing catch-up?
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Setting out a nine-point ‘Action Plan’ for the next 18 months to deliver decarbonisation, Ofgem has tacitly acknowledged that it is currently ill-equipped to deal with the challenge. The regulator pointed out that the existing ‘Social and Environmental Guidance’ from…
Where will we be in 2030? Key questions for a changing power sector
by New Power • • 1 Comment
As the 2020s start, in the January 2020 issue of New Power Report we set out a series of questions about how the industry would look at the start of the 2030s. What’s your view? Have we asked…