Levelling up, building back better and going green ought to all be part of the Net Zero goal. That is on local as well as national government’s agenda, but delivering the ideal outcome is complex. Janet Wood spoke to Amber…
Longread
Analysis, interviews, thought leadership
OPINION: The National Security and Investment Act takes effect on 4 January – what you need to know
by New Power • • Comments Off
The National Security and Investment Act 2021 (the NS&I Act) will establish a new regime for government approval of transactions that may give rise to a risk to national security when it comes into effect on 4 January. Conrad Purcell,…
Towards 2032: costs rise to maintain aging gas transmission network
by New Power • • Comments Off
Great Britain’s available gas supplies, in aggregate, are greater than peak demand over the next ten years. But the diversity of the future gas supply mix makes it “both unpredictable and uncertain”, according to National Grid Gas (NGG), the system…
Towards 2032: NGESO details electricity system reinforcement needs
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In the next decade Great Britain’s electricity network requires major expansion to meet Net Zero investments, according to the system operator’s regular ‘Electricity Ten Year Statement’ (ETYS), which considers where investment or reinforcement is needed to ensure the grid remains…
From 20GW undersupply to 30GW oversupply: NGESO’s winter 2035 modelling shows urgent need for new power market design
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By 2035 there will be periods when lack of wind and solar generation is low and electricity supply falls dramatically short of demand. But those times are far outweighed by periods when the GB system has a large excess of…
INTERVIEW: Robert Ogden, chief executive, Renewable Exchange, on trading costs and the importance of machine-readable data
by New Power • • Comments Off
In September, community energy company Egni Co-op caused a stir when it actioned new power purchase agreements (PPAs) for 25 solar farms simultaneously, using Renewable Exchange’s online platform. In October, PPAs for 157MW of renewable power were successfully executed through…
INTERVIEW: Elexon’s Peter Stanley on opening up the settlements process ‘black box’
by New Power • • Comments Off
The GB settlement process is a hard-wired ‘black box’, mostly invisible to participants, dating back to the start of the competitive industry. But October should see the beginnings of an open flexible approach that allows new participants access to much…
INTERVIEW: Sarah Merrick, Ripple Energy
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This week Ripple’s chief executive Sarah Merrick became the Business Green Leaders Award ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’. In April 2019 she spoke to Janet Wood about how to give consumers a small stake in a large wind farm. Will a…
Opinion: A tidal wave of EVs will drive the flexibility market
by New Power • • 1 Comment
James Johnston, chief executive and co-founder of Piclo, looks forward to the system benefits of electric vehicles The electric vehicle (EV) revolution is finally upon us. EVs are now a common sight throughout the UK and this is reflected in…
Climate change: the race is on, and clean energy investment is ramping up
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Kay Hobbs, partner at UK law firm TLT, says the finance sector is stepping up to invest in green energy The recent report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) made for grim reading. It declared that climate change…