The Green Homes Grant Voucher Scheme, launched last year, will close to new applications on 31 March at 5pm. BEIS said the scheme “was designed to provide a short-term economic boost while tackling our contribution to climate change. Applications made…
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Development sites sold as NextEnergy fund reaches 150MW subsidy-free PV target
by New Power •
NextEnergy Solar Fund has announced two newly approved subsidy-free development assetsthat are about to start construction and are due to go into operation in early 2022. The assets have an approximate investment value of £45M and comprise: Whitecross, 124 acres in…
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ScotWind lease fees could rise to £100k/km – auction window set to open in April
by New Power •
Crown Estate Scotland has increased tenfold the upper limit on lease fees it will charge offshore wind developers, as it prepares to open a competition to allocate seabed areas for development. The maximum fee that might be paid will increased from…
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‘Beacon’ energy efficiency projects needed to give DNOs alternatives to reinforcement for electric heating, says Sustainability First
by New Power •
Local electricity networks should lead local partnerships to deliver ‘beacon’ energy efficiency schemes over the next five years, according to Sustainability First, to show that they are “workable and replicable” in offsetting the need to reinforce the network to accommodate more…
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Crown Estate begins work on leasing round for large-scale floating wind in Celtic Sea
by New Power •
The Crown Estate is starting work on a new leasing opportunity for early commercial-scale floating wind projects in the Celtic Sea. The leasing process will step up the scale of such projects to around 300MW (three times larger than previous rights). The Crown Estate said this was…
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Net Zero plans ‘incomplete and underfunded’
by New Power •
Advisory group the Industrial Strategy Council has warned the government that its plans for Net Zero are incomplete and underfunded. In its annual report on the UK’s industrial strategy – the last before the group is disbanded – the Council…
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Nordic Investment Bank agrees loan for Energinet end of Viking Link
by New Power •
The Nordic Investment Bank (NIB) has agreed a €134.4M (DKK 1 billion) 10-year loan with Danish TSO Energinet to co-finance construction of Viking Link, the interconnector planned to link GB and Denmark. The 1.4GW HVDC electricity interconnector will pass 760km between substations…
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New national planning statements ‘key to delivering renewable energy projects’
by New Power •
New National Planning Statements for energy will be crucial in smoothing the development consent process for renewables, Liz Dunn, a partner at law firm Burgess Salmon, told Waterfront’s Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects Forum this week. She said that “With new…
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Installers in UKPN area get short cut to decision on EV, heat pump, PV, battery installs with one-stop Smart Connect portal
by New Power •
A new Smart Connect portal launched by UK Power Networks will give an instant decision on whether installers can connect domestic electric vehicle charge points, heat pumps, battery storage or solar PV. UK Power Networks expects up to 700,000 electric…