Utility Week articles from April 2003

Utility Week archives from April 2003

WATER; Argentine crisis takes toll on Agbar results.(Aguas de Barcelona)(Brief Article)
April 4, 2003... Spain's biggest water company Aguas de Barcelona (Agbar) has revised its 2002 results, blaming the ongoing Argentine economic crisis for damaging its business more than it had anticipated. In a statement to stock market watchdog CNMV, Agbar...

ELECTRICITY; Austrian power suppliers face cartel probe.(Brief Article)
April 4, 2003... Austria's energy regulator, E-Control, has ordered 11 power companies to cut their tariffs within four weeks or face an investigation of alleged cartel activity. E-Control has warned suppliers - including Verbund, Energie and Wienstrom - that...

TELECOMS; Mobiles lift Telekom Austria.(Brief Article)
April 4, 2003... Austria's dominant fixed and mobile provider Telekom Austria reported a boost in underlying earnings thanks to a booming mobile telecoms cash cow. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (Ebitda) for the group rose to...

ELECTRICITY; Scots green target relies on Betta.(British Electricity Trading and Transmission Arrangements)(Brief Article)
April 4, 2003... Scottish environment minister Ross Finnie claimed last week that proposed British Electricity Trading and Transmission Arrangements (Betta) will be key to Scotland's target of meeting 40 per cent of electricity needs from renewables by 2020....

electricity; CEZ: e4.7bn for new coal plant.
April 4, 2003... by Mark Andress Dominant Czech power generator CEZ is to spend e4.7 billion replacing coal-fired power plants in north Bohemia, the company announced last week. CEZ has four power plants in the region with a combined capacity of 4GW,...

ELECTRICITY; UK mulls green guarantee plan for Europe.(Brief Article)
April 4, 2003... Whitehall has opened consultation on a new European Union-wide scheme designed to give customers a guarantee that their electricity supply is from renewable sources. The certification system will be known as the Renewable Energy Guarantee...

ELECTRICITY; UK domestic CHP field trial planned.(combined heat and power)(Brief Article)
April 4, 2003... Plans for a major field trial for household scale combined heat and power systems are at an advanced stage, environment minister Elliot Morley has signalled. A number of companies have been developing the technology, including BG, and the...

TELECOMS; Losses end cable duo's merger hopes.(NTL, Telewest Communications)
April 4, 2003... by Zo Grainge The UK's two remaining cable operators, NTL and Telewest Communications, have put a merger on the backburner to focus on cost control and financial restructuring. The companies both posted 2002 results in the past week...

GAS; Notice period for switchers to be scrapped.(Brief Article)
April 4, 2003... Ofgem has proposed scrapping the rights of gas suppliers to stop customers switching because of insufficient notice of termination. This move follows complaints from customers and energy companies about current rules which allow suppliers...

WATER; Dee Valley will be ring-fenced after revamp.(Brief Article)
April 4, 2003... Ofwat has published proposals to safeguard the customers of Dee Valley Water after the company's financial restructuring. Dee Valley Water has raised its borrowings to about pound sterling35 million - 80 per cent of its regulated capital...

ELECTRICITY; Acquisitions pile up EdF debt.(Electricite de France)(Brief Article)
April 4, 2003... Debts at predatory French power giant Electricite de France increased by 16 per cent to e25.8 billion in 2002 as it incorporated recent acquisitions in the UKand Germany. Pre-tax profit at the state-owned company was virtually flat at...

ENERGY; Enel to axe non-core costs.(Brief Article)
April 4, 2003... Italy's dominant power company, Enel, has pledged to cut capital expenditure in its non-core operations and to increase its handouts to shareholders over the next five years. Chief executive of the 68 per cent state-owned firm, Paolo...

WATER; Industry lashes state over river damage.(Brief Article)
April 4, 2003... by Karma Ockenden The water industry has rounded on the government, pressing it to accept its share of the responsibility for damaging abstractions from waterways and to stop laying the blame fully on the water companies. Speaking at a...

ELECTRICITY; Eon in Russian power tie-up.(Russia's Unified Energy System and German's Eon will jointly upgrade the Russian electricity sector)(Brief Article)
April 4, 2003... The Unified Energy System (UES) of Russia and German energy giant Eon have agreed to jointly upgrade the Russian electricity sector. The protocol, signed during a visit to Munich by UES chairman Anatoly Chubays, will give Eon Energie...

Sterling effort.(the United Kingdom is deciding whether or not to switch to the euro)
April 4, 2003... The bell has rung for the last lap of the euro long-distance race. The government is due to announce whether or not it supports the adoption of the new currency by 7 June. Chancellor Gordon Brown has confirmed (to the Treasury Select Committee...

Moving, testing and falling down.(LE Group may be moving into the former UK headquarters of Enron)(Column)
April 4, 2003... Were I the regulator, nay the auditor, of LE Group I would be keeping a wary eye open for any signs of creative accounting. You know the sort of thing. Off-balance-sheet transactions. Innovative risk trading. Maybe even a spot of hubris....

GAS; Flanders leads Belgian liberalisation.(Flanders, Belgium, will privatize its gas market in 7/03)(Brief Article)
April 4, 2003... The Flanders province of Belgium will fully liberalise its gas market from 1 July. The country's two other regions, Wallonia and Brussels, are unlikely to follow suit at least until later this year. Belgium opened its entire gas market for...

GAS; Ofgem does a U-turn on shorter balancing.(energy regulator Ofgem drops plans for a more frequent gas balancing regime)(Brief Article)
April 4, 2003... by Roger Milne Energy regulator Ofgem this week quietly dropped long-held plans for a more frequent gas balancing regime. A spokesman for the watchdog told Utility Week that the current daily regime would remain 'for the foreseeable...

GAS; Sector raises hopes of Brussels climbdown.(Eurogas hopes that the proposed directive on securing Europe's gas supplies will be altered)
April 4, 2003... by Keith Nuthall European gas federation Eurogas was hopeful that the proposed directive on securing Europe's gas supplies would be substantially recast, after opposition from the industry to proposals to allow the European Commission to...

ENERGY; Political deal sets up German regulator.(Germany's electricity industry is getting an independent federal regulator)
April 4, 2003... by Simon Jones After a long wrangle, a political deal has emerged to enable the German electricity industry to get an independent federal regulator by July 2004. The new energy body will boost market transparency, ruling on issues of grid...

GAS; Hidro's Naturcorp win saves day for Natural.(Hidrocantabrico acquires Naturcorp)(Brief Article)
April 4, 2003... by Ivan Castano The acquisition this week of Basque gas operator Naturcorp by Spain's fourth-largest power player, Hidrocantabrico, was expected to remove a chief obstacle in Gas Natural's bid for control of power company Iberdrola. ...

War takes its toll on utilities; Not content with causing a rift.(France is trying to get European mobile phone standards into Iraq)(Brief Article)
April 4, 2003... Between 'old Europe' and the US over the war in Iraq, it now appears those wily French are planning to sneak European mobile phone standards into Iraq. Congressman Darrell Issa, however, has written to Donald Rumsfeld, calling for the...

PAN-UTILITY; Job prospects the best for a decade.(utilities are providing the brightest job prospects of all sectors)
April 4, 2003... Job prospects in the utilities are some of the brightest across all sectors, according to a survey from recruitment specialist Manpower. A net balance of 13 per cent of utilities will hire between April and June, the survey said. This was...

WATER; Kelda holds talks to secure WRG sale.(Kelda is close to selling its 45.5% stake in Waste Recycling Group)(Brief Article)
April 4, 2003... Yorkshire Water parent Kelda has edged close to a sale of its 45.5 per cent stake in waste management company Waste Recycling Group (WRG). Yorkshire last week announced it was talking to investment vehicle Terra Firma about handling the...

ENVIRONMENT; Pollution cuts plan on track.(ministers say that the United Kingdom is on track to meet its Kyoto targets to reduce greenhouse gases)(Brief Article)
April 4, 2003... Ministers last week insisted that the UK was on track to meet its Kyoto targets to cut greenhouse gases and its domestic goal of reducing emissions of carbon dioxide. The government's optimism was fuelled by the latest official figures on...

ENERGY; LEGroup profit boosted by acquisitions.(in the year to 12/31/02)(Brief Article)
April 4, 2003... London-based energy company LEGroup upped its contribution to its French parent's profits more than fourfold to pound sterling91 million after more than doubling its net profits. LE increased its sales by nearly 50 per cent to pound...

Ofgem boss into the fray.(a discussion of the impact of the New Electricity Trading Arrangements in teh United Kingdom)
April 4, 2003... The second anniversary of the New Electricity Trading Arrangements merits a cover feature this issue and our analyst's assessment on their progress falls far sort of an endorsement. The old Pool had few friends but Neta, it seems, has fewer...

TELECOMS; MMO2 brews fears over 3G.(MMO2 may have to write down the value of its third-generation license)(Brief Article)
April 4, 2003... Mobile operator MMO2 may be forced to write down the value of its pound sterling10 billion third-generation (3G) licence, after the company released an end-of-year statement which said it will 'review the balance sheet carrying value of its...

A declaration ; of independents.(choosing an independent meter expert is a good strategy for energy suppliers)(Column)
April 4, 2003... With the market for metering services now open to competition, energy suppliers can choose who installs, maintains and reads their customers' gas and electricity meters. Those who decide to outsource these services can opt either for an...

PAN-UTILITY; Authorities drag feet over roadworks.(Moleseye criticizes authorities in England and Wales)(Brief Article)
April 4, 2003... Streetworks registration company Moleseye has criticised the authorities in England and Wales for adding to roadworks misery by dragging their feet in efforts to co-ordinate utility digging. Managing director Alan McMaster said:'Where...

UK on track for Kyoto success.(the United Kingdom should meet its targets to reduce greenhouse gases and carbon dioxide emissions)
April 4, 2003... The UK is still on track to meet its Kyoto targets to cut greenhouse gases and its domestic goal of reducing emissions of carbon dioxide, according to the latest government statistics. These show that greenhouse gas emissions dropped by 3.5...

PAN-UTILITY; Tribunal claim costs mount on employers.(for cases of employees claiming wrongful dismissal)(Brief Article)
April 4, 2003... Tribunal applications by employees claiming wrongful dismissal are escalating, leaving human resources professionals in utilities increasingly exposed to possible expensive errors as new legislation comes in this year, according to leading law...

EVN.(a profile of EVN, a top Austrian energy services company)(Company Profile)
April 4, 2003... by Nigel Hawkins EVN is a leading Austrian energy services company. Its origins date back to 1922 when the original NEWAG electrification and power company was founded. After various mergers and acquisitions, notably between NEWAG and...

ScottishPower.(ScottishPower sskes to appeal a ruling by the Wyoming Public Service Commission)
April 4, 2003... by Zo Grainge Energy utility ScottishPower has a thorn in its side: US unit PacifiCorp. On 7 March, the Wyoming Public Service Commission totally rejected PacifiCorp's long-running claim for recovery of US$91 million (pound sterling58...

ENERGY; Cost reductions hitting target at NGT.(National Grid Transco reports its financial results)(Brief Article)
April 4, 2003... National Grid Transco (NGT)has claimed progress in its cost-cutting programme, with net debt at the year-end of about pound sterling14 billion. In a trading update issued last week ahead of full-year results, the gas and power transmission...

Terrible twos.(the second birthday of the New Electricity Trading Arrangements has been reached)
April 4, 2003... This month we celebrate, if that is the word, the second birthday of the highly controversial New Electricity Trading Arrangements. Government ministers continue to defend Neta - for the most part. By contrast, Dieter Helm, director of...

ELECTRICITY; Users in praise of Neta cuts.(the New Electricity Trading Arrangements)(Brief Article)
April 4, 2003... Major electricity users chorused their approval this week of the New Electricity Trading Arrangements on their second anniversary. But industries with generating interests shared some of the concerns of power generators as low wholesale prices...

GAS; Treaty talks but no accord.(the United Kingdom and Norway are negotiating on a new framework treaty for cross-border oil and gas co-operation)(Brief Article)
April 4, 2003... Energy minister Brian Wilson and his Norwegian counterpart have insisted that both countries are confident of reaching agreement on a new framework treaty to ensure cross-border oil and gas co-operation. The treaty is crucial to plans for...

eLECTRICITY; Firms queue to build offshore windfarms.(with up to 70 new sites being considered)(Brief Article)
April 4, 2003... by Roger Milne Companies are queuing up for permission to build offshore windfarms, with up to 70 new sites in contention, it has emerged. The Crown Estate's Frank Parrish revealed the burgeoning interest in offshore wind-powered...

WATER; Sector needs more detail on returns and incentives.(the water industry approves of Ofwat's plan for the next price review, but details should be added)(Brief Article)
April 4, 2003... The water industry has welcomed Ofwat's approach to the next price review, set down by the regulator last week, but warned that some important detail was missing. Water UK said Ofwat had shown that 'it is listening to stakeholders' and...

Rural broadband: time for subsidy?(some politicians in the United Kingdom believe broadband is a universal service that should receive a public subsidy)
April 4, 2003... Backbenchers left the government in no doubt last week that there is a case for treating broadband as a universal service underwritten by a public subsidy. Former Conservative minister Sir George Young put the case during a Commons debate....

ELECTRICITY; Endesa sells off Repsol shareholding.(Brief Article)
April 4, 2003... Spanish power firm Endesa has sold its 3 per cent stake in compatriot oil group Repsol-YPF under its plan to shed non-essential assets by 2006. The sale came shortly after Endesa chairman Rafael Miranda hinted the firm would sell-off its...

WATER; Scots get rough dealfrom poor managers.(Scottish customers are investing more in water infrastructure but getting less for their money)
April 4, 2003... by Karma Ockenden Scottish customers are investing more in water infrastructure than their counterparts south of the Border but are getting less for their money because of management inefficiency. Water industry commissioner Alan...

The reign ; in Spain.(Spanish power utilities are offering several incentives in order to win retail customers)
April 4, 2003... Internet, cable, financial services, even free travel. These are some of the incentives Spanish power utilities are using to win retail customers in the freshly liberalised energy market. But their efforts have so far been largely in vain. ...

TELECOMS ; Swisscom suffers from German woes.(Swisscom reports falling net profits in 2002)(Brief Article)
April 4, 2003... Net profits at state-controlled monopoly Swisscom plunged 17 per cent in 2002 after a large writedown on its stake in German mobile telecoms operator Debitel. Swisscom's net profit fell to e558.5 million from e3.32 billion in 2001. The...

Kelda proves star attraction.(Kelda Group looks for a buyer for its stake in Waste Recycling Group)
April 4, 2003... by Trevor Dooley The news last week was really a load of rubbish. Centre stage was Yorkshire Water owner Kelda Group, but not for its supply of life-giving fluids. It was its stake in Waste Recycling Group that was creating the stink,...

WATER; Ofwat sets London leakage targets.(for the Thames Water area)(Brief Article)
April 4, 2003... Ofwat has set leakage-busting targets for the Thames Water area covering London. Next year, losses in London will have to be cut to 720 megalitres a day (Ml/d) from the current 780 Ml/d. In 2004/05 a further cutback to 672 Ml/d was...

GAS; Turkey-Greece pipeline meets green protest.(the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development is considering environmental concerns for an oil and gas pipeline)(Brief Article)
April 4, 2003... The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is talking closely to environmental groups before agreeing to release e300 million to build the planned Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil and gas pipeline from the Caspian Sea to Turkey's...

Trouble in site.(Britain's five mobile operators are planning to launch third-generation services)
April 4, 2003... Planning authorities are bracing themselves for a fresh wave of mobile mast proposals and controversy as Britain's five mobile operators gear-up to provide third-generation (3G) services. To date, the telecoms revolution has spawned around...

TELECOMS; Bills may take shine off 3G.(expensive third-generation phones may put off consumers)(Brief Article)
April 11, 2003... The high cost of third-generation (3G) mobile phones is likely to put off consumers from using them, according to new research. A report by The Work Foundation, and funded by PricewaterhouseCoopers and Microsoft, questioned that people will...

WATER; Shareholders get another AWG bonus.(Brief Article)
April 11, 2003... AWG is to return a further pound sterling177 million to its shareholders by the end of June. The 100p-a-share payout, announced in a trading statement last week, followed hot on the heels of a pound sterling500 million capital return less...

ELECTRICITY; MPs fear Betta will not be good enough.(British Electricity Trading and Transmission Arrangements)(Brief Article)
April 11, 2003... by Trevor Dooley An all-party group of MPs questioned this week the value to customers of the proposed merger of the power trading and transmission arrangements either side of the Border. And the MPs called on the energy regulator to...

ELECTRICITY; DTI channels [pounds sterling]27m into green power.(Brief Article)
April 11, 2003... The government has earmarked [pounds sterling]27 million in grants for a clutch of green power plants in the UK - five in England, one in Scotland and one in Northern Ireland. The projects are part-funded from the government's Bioenergy...

ELECTRICITY; CEZready to open talks on wires stakes deals.(CEZ A.S., regional energy companies of E.ON AG, RWE AG)(Brief Article)
April 11, 2003... Dominant Czech generator CEZ said it was ready to start talks with German multi-utility giants Eon and RWE on exchanging stakes in regional electricity distribution companies. The move is likely to spark consolidation in the country's power...

Telecoms; Cesky eyes remaining stake in Eurotel.(Cesky Telecom, EuroTel Bratislava A.S.)
April 11, 2003... by Mark Andress Cesky Telecom, the dominant Czech fixed-line operator, is poised to take another shot at buying the remaining 49 per cent in mobile operator Eurotel. Information technology minister Vladimir Mlynar and Cesky's acting...

ELECTRICITY; [pounds sterling]48m atom clean-up Bill scheme.(United Kingdom, Nuclear Decommissioning Authority; British Nuclear Fuels PLC, Sellafield nuclear plant)(Brief Article)
April 11, 2003... The government has opted for a savings account rather a pension fund-style arrangement to bankroll the clean-up of the UK's nuclear legacy, currently put at pound sterling48 billion. Ministers argued that a segregated fund reliant on...

ENERGY; Brussels to formally probe EdF safety net.(European Union, European Commission to investigate Electricite de France's unlimited financial guarantees )
April 11, 2003... ENERGY Brussels to formally probe EdF safety net by Alan Osborn The European Commission is to open a formal investigation into the unlimited financial guarantees given by the French government to its state-owned electricity...

ELECTRICITY; Enel sets up Moscow shop; Italian energy group Enel is.(Enel Distribuzione S.p.A.)(Brief Article)
April 11, 2003... opening an office in Moscow ahead of privatisation of the Russian power market. The Italian firm wants to run at least one of the 10 generators set to replace monopoly supplier RAO Unified Energy System, and to tender for the new units in any...

ELECTRICITY; UK trading hubs lag on liquidity.(United Kingdom power exchanges' liquidity; Cap Gemini Ernst and Young report)(Brief Article)
April 11, 2003... Liquidity in UK power exchanges has failed to pick up pace in line with the rest of Europe, according to consultant Cap Gemini Ernst & Young. In a quarterly report on the progress of deregulation across Europe, Cap Geminisaid that although...

WATER; Water spending scares off investors.(investors surveyed express fears of capital spending requirements)
April 11, 2003... by Paul Garrett Investors are shying away from the water industry over fears about future capital spending requirements. An independent survey of investor opinion by economist and former equity analyst Angela Whelan for Water UK...

GAS; Ofgem plans gas balancing probe.(Brief Article)
April 11, 2003... Ofgem this week announced plans to monitor the gas balancing regime on a six-monthly basis with the introduction of so-called 'leading indicators' which would give advanced warning of increased risk and formally trigger a review. Last week...

GAS; Gazprom eyes supplier tie-up in Germany.(Wintershall, Gazprom may bid for stake in Verbundnetz Gas)(Brief Article)
April 11, 2003... by Simon Jones Wintershall, the energy arm of German chemicals group BASF, wants to bid jointly with Russian gas giant Gazprom for a 26.6 per cent stake in German gas supplier Verbundnetz Gas (VNG). The proposal was 'definitely of...

ELECTRICITY; Heavy users switch on to switching.(supplier switching in German industrial energy market)(Brief Article)
April 11, 2003... Switching of supplier in Germany's industrial energy market picked up last year with a third of the volume demanded by 400 users changing hands in the 12 months to June 2002, according to a recent survey. Market analyst Datamonitor found...

Illusions of grandeur.(electricity competition in Germany)
April 11, 2003... Competition in Germany is in its fifth year, and according to what statistics you look at, it has been a phenomenal success. A glance through the company reports of Germany's major electricity companies will reveal that competition has...

GAS; Grain import project gets go-ahead.(National Grid Transco to convert grain terminal into LNG import facility)(Brief Article)
April 11, 2003... National Grid Transco (NGT) got the green light last week for a major project which will improve the UK's security of energy supply. NGT has been granted planning permission by Medway Council to convert the existing Isle of Grain terminal...

WATER; Hamburg gets e400m for clean-up.(European Investment Bank to provide e180 million)(Brief Article)
April 11, 2003... Hamburg's crumbling sewerage network is to be upgraded by a e420 million injection of funding, with the European Union's (EU's) European Investment Bank (EIB) planning to provide e180 million of this money. The scheme involves a large...

ENERGY; Hannover hopes for e6m from Ampere sale.(Stadtwerke Hannover)(Brief Article)
April 11, 2003... Stadtwerke Hannover (SWH) hopes to sell its 75 per cent stake in power discounter Ampere before Easter, expecting to raise more than e5.9 million from the disposal. No details of the likely buyer were given, but the holding will probably...

AWG cash-back.(to shareholders)(Brief Article)
April 11, 2003... AWG, owner of Anglian Water, is to hand back pound sterling177 million in cash to shareholders, in what some commentators were describing this weekend as an attempt to fend off a possible hostile bid by WestLB. The Daily Mail described the move...

TELECOMS; KPN mulls O2 Germany bid.(Brief Article)
April 11, 2003... Netherlands operator KPN has indicated its interest in German mobile telecoms rival O2 Germany. The Dutch company said it would expand its German subsidiary E-Plus, the third-largest player in Europe's leading telecoms market 'either by...

Cash battle for AMP4.(asset management plan, water industry)
April 11, 2003... Water industry people gather in Cardiff this week for the annual Institution of Water Officers conference, which has a timely theme - 'AMP4 - milestone or watershed?'. In essence, the fourth AMP (asset management plan) phase that will...

PAN-UTILITY; Roadworks high-noon case set.(Brief Article)
April 11, 2003... A landmark legal battle over the right of local authorities to seek damages when contractors dig up roads for longer than expected is to go before London's High Court later this year. A top judge at London's High Court today paved the way...

ENERGY; MPs slam White Paper and urge tidal and wave target.(Energy White Paper for not doing enough to ensure a low-carbon fuel economy)(Brief Article)
April 11, 2003... MPs have urged the government to make a major investment in wave and tidal energy so they can supply 5 per cent of Britain's electricity by 2020. The call for a boost for these Cinderella renewables came from the Commons Science and...

PAN-UTILITY; Thames Water and Seeboard seal Tube deal.(Metronet consortium)(Brief Article)
April 11, 2003... After months of delays, Thames Water and Seeboard have sealed the deal to run two-thirds of London's Tube through their Metronet consortium. Metronet has finalised two public private partnership deals with London Underground to manage,...

ELECTRICITY; Bid for Midlands wires looks set for Scot win.(Scottish and Southern Energy)(Brief Article)
April 11, 2003... Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) in partnership with International Power has emerged as the front-runner in the bid for the former Midlands Electricity distribution network. The Perth-based company has pulled away from a joint bid by...

Ofgem promises to peg costs.(industry briefs)
April 11, 2003... Despite an increase in its workload, energy regulator Ofgem has promised to keep to its original budget figure of pound sterling36 million for 2003-04 . The regulator has made that pledge as it published the final version of its corporate...

Vivendi Environnement.
April 11, 2003... by Nigel Hawkins With a history dating back to 1853, Vivendi Environnement - the successor to Compagnie Generale des Eaux - has a long pedigree in providing water services. More recently, its structure has been redefined after its demerger...

Dee Valley Group.
April 11, 2003... by Trevor Dooley Having completed a financial overhaul - raising its borrowings to some 80 per cent of its regulated capital value - Dee Valley Group has focused back to its core water business. Dee Valley sold-off its loss-making...

ENERGY.
April 11, 2003... Repsol stands against Natural Iberdrola bidaepsol's annual shareholders meeting, chairman Alfonso Cortina said the deal's terms, which Repsol had deemed undesirable, have not changed and that the uncertain global economic climate would make the...

Green budget blues for Brown.(Chancellor Gordon Brown)
April 11, 2003... No shortage of advice for the Chancellor this week as he fine-tuned Wednesday's Budget Statement. The details were due after Utility Week went to press. Of course the Iraq conflict has left Gordon Brown with less room for manoeuvre than...

ELECTRICITY; Portugal unveils open market plan for energy.(Brief Article)
April 11, 2003... by Ivan Castano Portugal has unveiled a restructuring plan for its energy sector ahead of fully liberalising it to create a pan-Iberian power market in 2004. The plan envisaged privatising energy company GalpEnergia by merging its gas...

ENVIRONMENT; Public body policy could slash emissions in EU.(public procurement programmes)(Brief Article)
April 11, 2003... If every public body in the European Union (EU) upped their use of renewable sources in their procurement policies, the fall in greenhouse gas emissions would meet 18 per cent of Europe's international obligations under the Kyoto Protocol,...

ELECTRICITY; German ministers slam regulation plan critics.(independent federal regulation)(Brief Article)
April 11, 2003... German government ministers have hit back at energy industry criticism of proposals to bring independent federal regulation to the sector. Environment minster Jurgen Trittin rejected as 'alarmist' industry claims that the new regulator...

Peer pressure.(accountability of regulators)
April 11, 2003... We may not have a written constitution in this country, but we certainly like talking about constitutional issues. The latest example is the newly appointed Constitution Committee of the House of Lords, which, for the last month or so, has been...

ENERGY; Gas Natural bags more power plant.(BP, Repsol-YPF sell power plant to Gas Natural)(Brief Article)
April 11, 2003... Gas Natural has bought a 1.2GW gas-fired power plant project from joint owners, oil and gas producers BP and Spain's Repsol-YPF. Meanwhile Repsol and Gas Natural have struck a e5 billion, 20-year gas supply deal. Under the deal, Repsol...