Interesting links, articles, news and blog posts sent out to members on 22/07/22.
News: Nord Stream: Key Russian pipeline resumes pumping gas to Europe – BBC News Online
21 July 2022, Ben Tobias. Russia has resumed pumping gas to Europe through its biggest pipeline after warnings it could curb or halt supplies altogether:
Link: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-62249015
News: Masses may stop paying energy bills in ‘poll tax’ moment, Martin Lewis warns – ITV News Online
20 July 2022. People could stop paying energy bills in scenes reminiscent of the early 1990s’ poll tax riots, Martin Lewis has warned:
Policy Paper: Hydrogen sector development action plan – Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy
20 July 2022. This sets out actions that HMG, industry and others are taking forward to realise economic benefits of hydrogen for UK:
Link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hydrogen-sector-development-action-plan
News: Sizewell C granted development consent by government – BBC News Online
20 July 2022. The government has given the go-ahead for the new Sizewell C nuclear power plant on the Suffolk coast:
Link: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-62235221
Consultation outcome: Jet Zero: updated evidence and analysis to inform our strategy for net zero aviation – Department for Transport
21 March 2022. This consultation and the Jet Zero consultation received over 1,500 responses in total. The Department has published a summary of consultation responses and government response which summarises the responses received to both consultations:
Policy Paper: Energy Digitalisation Taskforce Report – Joint response by BEIS, Ofgem and Innovate UK
19 July 2022. The digitalisation of the energy sector is critical to reaching net zero by 2050 and supporting a smart, flexible energy system. The British Energy Security Strategy published in April 2022 stresses the importance of flexibility to our energy security, to ensure that we can efficiently match supply and demand and minimise waste:
New written evidence: Energy pricing and the future of the Energy Market BEIS Committee Inquiry – The Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee
July 2022. The Committee’s inquiry on the retail energy market follows unprecedented surges in wholesale energy prices since the summer and with a number of firms going out of business, including Bulb, Britain’s seventh-biggest supplier with 1.6 million households as customers:
News: A bad bet on biomass? Critics respond to Drax announcement – Envirotec
July 2022. UK energy utility Drax has unveiled plans to build “the world’s largest carbon capture facility”, with the goal of removing more CO2 from the atmosphere than it produces, and thereby securing carbon-negative status. But campaign groups continue to insist that the maths behind biomass doesn’t add up:
Link: https://envirotecmagazine.com/2022/07/12/a-bad-bet-on-biomass-critics-respond-to-drax-announcement/
News: Gas prices could be separated from renewables in market shake up to lower energy bills – City AM
18 July 2022, Nicholas Earl. Fossil fuel prices could be separated from the costs of electricity produced by renewables, radically reducing the country’s exposure to volatile global gas markets:
Press release: Government fund to accelerate nuclear fuel supply opens – Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy
19 July 2022. £75 million Nuclear Fuel Fund opens to boost production of fuel for reactors:
Link: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-fund-to-accelerate-nuclear-fuel-supply-opens
Open consultation: Review of electricity market arrangements – Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy
18 July 2022. This review of electricity market arrangements will identify reforms needed to transition to a decarbonised, cost effective and secure electricity system. This consultation closes at 11:45pm on 10 October 2022:
Link: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/review-of-electricity-market-arrangements
Research briefing: Energy (Oil and Gas) Profits Levy Bill 2022-23 – House of Commons Library
18 July 2022. The Energy (Oil and Gas) Profits Levy Bill 2022-23 is to introduce a new temporary levy on North Sea oil and gas production:
Link: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-9578/
Research briefing: Taxation of North Sea oil and gas – House of Commons Library
18 July 2022. This Library briefing gives an overview of the way that the profits from North Sea oil and gas production are taxed, and how the fiscal regime that applies to North Sea oil and gas production has been reformed in recent years:
Link: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/sn00341/
Press release: New aerospace innovation to propel UK to growth and greener skies backed by £273 million – Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, Department for Transport, UK Research and Innovation, The Rt Hon Kwasi Kwarteng MP, and Robert Courts MP
18 July 2022. Solar powered aircraft, ultra-efficient wings and medical treatment carrying drones are just some of the technologies the government will back:
News: Britain becomes net exporter of electricity for first time as power prices in Europe remain volatile – Current News
15 July 2022, Molly Lempriere. In Q2 2022, Britain became a net exporter of electricity for the first time, according to new analysis from EnAppSys:
News: Tory leadership race: Where do candidates stand on net zero goal? – BBC News Online
15 July 2022, Jonah Fisher. The combination of a cost of living crisis and the need to find a new prime minister has called into question Britain’s commitment to reaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050:
Link: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-62168213
News: Energy UK calls for government intervention on energy bills as problem ‘too big for any industry to meet’ – Current News
13 July 2022, Molly Lempriere. Energy UK has called on the government to rollout more help for consumers with energy bills following predictions that the price cap will surge again:
Article: Sir Patrick Vallance gives emergency climate briefing to UK MPs – Guardian Online
13 July 2022, Helena Horton. Chief scientific adviser showed similar slides to those Boris Johnson said gave him ‘road to Damascus moment’ on climate:
News: Implement ‘emergency’ home energy efficiency plan, energy professionals urge UK Government – Edie.net
13 July 2022, Sarah George. Energy professionals are calling on the UK Government to launch an “urgent and enduring” energy efficiency programme in the face of the price crisis, with 70% believing that energy efficiency policy has had no positive impact within the past 12 months:
News: Government Boiler Upgrade Scheme failing to drive interest in heat pumps – Current News
12 July 2022, Molly Lempriere. The government’s £450 million Boiler Upgrade Scheme is yet to deliver increased demand for heat pumps, according to a new survey from the Ground Source Heat Pump Association (GSHPA):
News: Renewables dip to record lows as call to decouple wholesale market continue – Current News
11 July 2022, Molly Lempriere. This article takes a look at the record low strike prices achieved in the most recent Contracts for Difference auction, even as predictions for the next two price caps continue to surge:
Commons debate: Energy (Oil and Gas) Profits Levy Bill – Parallel Parliament
11 July 2022. Full debate on 2nd Reading of the Energy (Oil and Gas) Profits Levy Bill:
News: Small minority of UK parliamentarians attend emergency climate briefing – Guardian Online
11 July 2022, Helena Horton. Just 70 MPs and peers saw Sir Patrick Vallance showcase data that converted Boris Johnson to climate cause before Cop26:
Article: More than half a year since the energy market went into freefall, the bill for supplier failures is still mounting. – Politics Home
11 July 2022, Dame Clare Moriarty. Latest estimates put the tab at £4.6 billion. This includes £2.7 billion on managing supplier failures and around £1.9 billion of taxpayer funds being used to cover the running costs of Bulb:
Link: https://www.politicshome.com/thehouse/article/citizens-advice-energy-bills-costs-regulation
News: Smart meters rollout hits 21 million milestone – Current News
8 July 2022, Jonathan Tourino Jacobo. The national smart meter network operated by the Data Communications Company (DCC) has passed 21 million devices connected in the UK:
Link: https://www.current-news.co.uk/news/smart-meters-rollout-hits-21-million-milestone
News: Airlines accused of lobbying against sustainable fuel mandates and tighter emissions accounting – Edie.net
8 July 2022, Sarah George. British Airways’ parent company IAG has been accused of asking the Eu to weaken its sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) mandate, as part of a broader analysis revealing that many legacy airlines and aviation trade bodies are lobbying against stronger climate policies in Europe:
Press release: Projects developing innovative carbon removal tech benefit from over £54 million government funding – Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy and The Rt Hon Greg Hands MP
8 July 2022. Projects across the UK will benefit from a share of over £54 million to develop technologies that remove carbon emissions from the atmosphere:
Paper: Net Zero Britain: developing an energy system fit for the future – Ofgem
8 July 2022. This paper sets out Ofgem’s view on key aspects of Great Britain’s energy system where we consider significant reform is required to deliver a resilient, low cost, low carbon power sector, as well as a proposed framework of consumer interests to help focus our actions:
Link: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/net-zero-britain-developing-energy-system-fit-future