Ex-minister lashes out at ‘virtual nationalisation’ of electricity production
A Tory former cabinet minister has hit out at the “virtual nationalisation“ of electricity production in the UK.
electricity
MPs warn of soaring bills unless cross-border Irish interconnector built
Northern Ireland is facing soaring energy bills unless work begins immediately on a cross-border interconnector, an influential committee of MPs has warned.
ABB wins £230m deal to integrate UK, France electricity grids
Engineering consultancy ABB has clinched a £230million deal to supply technology that will help connect the French and UK electricity networks.
Third of disabled people cut back on gas and electricity fearing costly bills
A third of disabled people have cut back on their energy consumption over the last year to afford their bills, a charity said.
’Transformation’ hailed as electricity production has smaller impact on climate change
Environmental campaigners have hailed the “transformation” in electricity production after figures showed power generated in Scotland has a significantly smaller impact on climate change when compared to the UK average.
Gas and electricity prices ‘top worry for consumers’
Energy prices are the top concern for an increasing number of consumers, while distrust for providers has also risen, a survey has found.
Opinion: The political masters of Holyrood have a contradictory stance on power generation
I am never quite clear why the government department that is now BEIS publish the latest breakdown of how power was generated to the grid a few days before Christmas, but it does mean there is less attention than there should be on what those changes show us.
Big Six need a ‘kick up the backside’ over fuel bills, says former minister
Britain’s “Big Six” energy suppliers need a “kick up the backside” from the Government to ensure customers get the best deals, according to a former minister.
SSE freezing energy prices until April
Energy supplier SSE has announced it will be freezing household energy prices until at least April 2017.
Wind-based electricity figures ‘good news in battle to address climate change’
Wind turbines in Scotland provided enough electricity to supply the average needs of almost all Scotland’s homes last month, according to a report.
Millions pay too much for energy thinking they have cheapest tariff, says survey
Millions of British households are paying more for their energy than they need to because of the mistaken belief they are on the cheapest tariff, a survey suggests.
Renewable energy power generation up 16.9% in US
Renewable energy in the US accounted for 16.9% of electricity generation in the first half of 2016, new figures have revealed.
Ofgem plans to cut National Grid budget by £185m
Energy regulator Ofgem has put forward plans to slash National Grid’s budget by £185.4million.
China in investment warning after Australia blocks grid purchase
Beijing has warned Australia it could reduce investment in the country following the decision to block a Chinese takeover of its biggest energy grid, a news report said.
Australia blocks power grid sale to Chinese investors
Australia made a preliminary decision to reject bids for its Ausgrid electricity network from Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-shing and State Grid Corp. of China amid growing opposition to selling infrastructure assets to overseas investors.
National Grid warns more costs for electricity as renewables technologies sector grows
The cost of managing Britain's electricity supplies could double to £2billion a year within five years, according to reports.
Good Energy signs agreement with ITM on electricity tariffs
Good Energy has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with ITM Power to explore green electricity tariffs for hydrogen production at its refueling stations across the UK.
Better use of electricity ‘could save consumers £8billion a year’
Britain could save £8 billion a year and slash its carbon footprint by using electricity better, a new report says.
Demand for renewable electricity up 8% in 2015
Demand for renewable electricity in Europe continued to grow last year up 8% from 2014, new data has shown.
Power Plant closures ‘could lead to 55% gap in electricity supply by 2025’
The UK faces an electricity supply gap of up to 55% by 2025 because of the closure of coal and nuclear plants, the government is being warned. Plans to plug the gap by building combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) plants are “unrealistic”, according to the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.
Call for national strategy to cut demand for electricity
Political parties in Scotland should commit to a national strategy to help businesses and consumers reduce and manage their demand for electricity, environmental and energy groups have said. WWF Scotland and Edinburgh-based company Flexitricity have stressed that implementing a concerted strategy regarding electricity consumption would mean Scotland could avoid the need to build expensive new fossil fuel power stations and more rapidly cut climate emissions. The groups also asserted that such a strategy must go beyond energy efficiency, and include measures to increasingly tap into the vast existing “invisible“ power network of industrial, commercial and public sector organisations.
Ukraine restores electricity supplies to Crimea
Ukraine has restored electricity to the Russian-occupied Crimean peninsula more than two weeks after it was cut off, according to the administration in the Kherson region. All electricity supplies from mainland Ukraine were cut off on November 22 when unknown attackers blew up pylons leading to Crimea, leaving the region of two million people with no power.
Power station to close after half century of electricity production
A power station is to stop generating electricity and will close after 46 years. E.ON said the Ironbridge Power Station in Shropshire will reach its 20,000 hours limit of generation under an EU directive aimed at lowering emissions of certain pollutants. Former employee Mike Smith has been invited back to press the button to end generation on Friday and mark the closure of the plant, which used to be powered by coal but was converted to biomass in 2012.
Carbon content of electricity generation falls to record low in Ireland
The carbon content of electricity generation in Ireland fell to a record low last year, according to new figures by the (SEAI) Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland. Renewable electricity help the country avoid 2.6million tonnes of CO2 emissions in 2014 and is now one of the single biggest contributors to carbon dioxide emissions reduction in Ireland. The body said without renewables, power generation emissions would have been around 23% higher.
Icelandic volcanoes could provide power to British homes
Icelandic volcanoes could be providing power to British homes, under plans to be announced by David Cameron. The Prime Minister, attending the Northern Future Forum in Reykjavik, is expected to say that the UK and Iceland are to look at establishing an electricity pipeline between the two countries. The multi-billion pound “interconnector” - involving 750 miles of undersea cabling - would enable the direct export of hydro and geothermal-generated electricity to be exported directly to Britain.