Utility Week articles from March 2007

Utility Week archives from March 2007

water Ulster Tories back metering for water.(News)
March 2, 2007... The Conservative Party of Northern Ireland has argued in its manifesto that water charges in the province should be based on volumetric charging rather than the value of people's homes when the Water Reform Bill comes into force on 1 April. ...

News.
March 2, 2007... WATER DIY chain takes on water efficiency B&Q has teamed up with industry body Waterwise to urge people to save water in a national campaign fronted by reality TV star and rower Ben Fogle. The DIY retailer has launched a range of...

WATER Bournemouth Water to grow.(News)(Bournemouth and District Water Co. and West Hampshire Water Co. acquires Preheat Ltd.)(Brief article)
March 2, 2007... Bournemouth & West Hampshire Wat's subsidiary Aqua Care has doubled in size with the acquisiton of Poole-based Pre-Heat. Aqua Care managing director Simon Booth said the acquisition was part of a growth plan for the company. Aqua Care...

News.(in briefs)(Brief article)
March 2, 2007... Green London London mayor Ken Livingstone has announced the London Climate Change Action Plan, aimed at stabilising the capital's carbon emissions at 60 per cent below 1990 levels by 2025. No more bans Mid Kent Water has lifted...

Beware of the CAT.(Features)
March 2, 2007... Far from being a triumph for competition, recent CAT judgements have left the water sector in a mess, says Stephen Tupper On 26 January 2007, the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) handed down its last judgment in the Bristol...

water Companies call for clarity over access.(News)
March 2, 2007... Water companies are still legally obliged to follow Ofwat's Guidance on Access Codes, the regulator has said, although the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) raised serious concerns about whether the guidance was lawful. Water industry...

eNERGY Centrica cost-cutting hits a further 350 jobs.(News)
March 2, 2007... by Roger Milne The cost-cutting measures and reorganisation announced last year will result in the loss of 350 jobs more than expected, Centrica has said. The admission - and the prospect of a further reduction in staff - came as the...

News.(Brief article)
March 2, 2007... Draft climate bill will be published this month, government promises Ministers have confirmed that the government will publish its promised climate change bill in draft form next month to allow for pre-legislative scrutiny. The...

WATER Companies fined for river pollution.(News)
March 2, 2007... Three water companies have been fined a total of [pounds sterling]14,500 following pollution incidents. Anglian Water was fined [pounds sterling]8,000 plus [pounds sterling]2,365 costs after two pumps failed at its Benhall works, leading...

The right mix.(Features)(managing change in utilities)
March 2, 2007... Utilities have to align their actions with their ambitions if they are to change successfully . Tony Wood and Stuart Cook explain how it's done The combined pressures of the regulatory environment, customer expectations and shareholder...

Features.
March 2, 2007... THE 1-2 March Electricity markets at the crossroads, a two-day conference organised by Eurelectric, Brussels 5 March PRASEG meeting on EU energy policy, London 6 March Environment Agency Water Efficiency Awards 2007,...

EU to the rescue.(Features)
March 2, 2007... Regulation guru Dieter Helm tells Steve Hobson why Brussels could fill the vacuum left by the UK government's indecision on energy policy The summer 2006 energy review The Energy Challenge raised important questions about the future of...

News.
March 2, 2007... Tapping into superheroes: Essex & Suffolk Water's H20 gang (aka Karl, Kelly, Jermaine, Bethany and Splash) are visiting schools, where their epic struggle with Dr Dry and his henchmen is featured in a special comic book.

Water Draft drought plans 'poor', says EA.(News)(Environment Agency reports)(Brief article)
March 2, 2007... This year's draft drought plans from water companies contain "poor" proposals for environmental monitoring and "poor" plans for controlling leakage, the Environment Agency said this week. Ian Barker, head of water resources for the...

WATER Loans to fund wastewater improvements.(Features)
March 2, 2007... The European Investment Bank is planning to lend the Polish city of Gdansk [euro]91 million to improve the quality and management of its water and wastewater networks. The money will help fund a [euro]202 million capital programme to raise...

eNVIRONMENT MPs warn of over-reliance on trading.(News)(minister of parliament for environment speaks against emission trading)(Brief article)
March 2, 2007... Parliament this week warned ministers against relying on emissions trading as a "miracle cure" that on its own would ensure the UK met its domestic greenhouse gas reduction targets. The warning came in a report published yesterday...

ENVIrONMENT Ministers back aviation for EU carbon trading.(Features)
March 2, 2007... Although European Union environment ministers have agreed that aviation should be included in the bloc's Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), there is no consensus on when airlines should face carbon caps. There was strong backing for extending...

GAS Electrabel charged over fatal explosion.(Features)
March 2, 2007... by Simon Jones Electrabel has been charged with involuntary manslaughter after an explosion in a Belgian pipeline that killed 24 people in July 2004. The Belgian energy utility confirmed that the investigating magistrate has also...

GAS Fifth Eon gas auction set for May.(Features)
March 2, 2007... Eon has announced that it will market 33TWh (more than 3 billion cubic metres) of long-term gas supplies in its fifth gas release auction in May. The latest sale is part of a package agreed with the German authorities in return for...

Features.
March 2, 2007... Good constitution? The European Court of Justice (ECJ) is to consider whether national constitutions can undermine key European Union laws affecting the energy sector. France's most senior court, the Council of State, has asked ECJ judges...

There's a hole in Thorp's bucket.(News)(Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant)(British Nuclear Group)
March 2, 2007... British Nuclear Group's flagship Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant (Thorp for short) suffered a rather large leak of radioactive liquor (though not out of its containment cell), which lasted for not just days, or even weeks, but probably went...

News.
March 2, 2007... Globe trotter: pictured is Barry Leighton, Northumbrian Water's head of procurement. He is holding water that is safe and water that can kill. By the time you read this, he will be on a trip organised by international charity WaterAid to see...

WATER Directives must not ignore climate.(News)(Brief article)
March 2, 2007... Water industry association Water UK is pushing European Union legislators to allow climate change to be taken into account in the impact assessments prepared for new directives on water quality. Water companies have already warned that...

Features.
March 2, 2007... Cutting traffic is as important in the wires as on the road Ofgem has been arguing for years that there should be a "locational" component to transmission charging, so that companies would be encouraged to site generating capacity near...

Micro slips.(Features)
March 2, 2007... Government in-fighting means we will probably miss the next deadline for relaxing the planning rules for microgeneration . Hannah Pearce reports There are practical, information and cost-related barriers that hinder the widespread...

Decency demands warmth.(Features)
March 2, 2007... Five years ago the government set out its aspiration to increase the proportion of vulnerable private sector households living in decent homes. One of the three criteria used is that the property provides a reasonable degree of thermal...

News.
March 2, 2007... ENERGY DTI agrees new budget for the NDA The 2007/08 budget for the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) has been set at [pounds sterling]2.47 billion, the Department of Trade and Industry has announced. Trade secretary...

News.
March 2, 2007... NEWS IN BRIEF Trading places: companies are passing on lower wholesale prices Heavy duty: UK emissions trading on the cards ELECTRICITY National Grid finalises alliances National Grid has finalised contracts worth...

Features.
March 2, 2007... INTERVIEW As Scottish Water gets its teeth into SR06, regulator Alan Sutherland assesses the company's performance. ELECTRICITY We study the implications of the High Court ruling on Greenpeace's challenge on nuclear policy: just...

Features.
March 2, 2007... ELECTRICITY Wind to meet tenth of Norway's needs Electricity generated by onshore and offshore Norwegian windfarms could contribute 5GW to the country's power by 2020 - 10 per cent of the total - according to a report from NVE,...

News.(Ofgem warns public utilites to refrain from making policy decisions)(Brief article)
March 2, 2007... ENERGY Interference could 'stifle innovation' Ofgem has warned ministers against making policy decisions that could mean suppliers have to provide customers with a particular type of device to provide better information about energy...

Water Ofwat rejects standardisation calls.(News)(Brief article)
March 2, 2007... Ofwat has rejected water company calls for standard guidance to be issued on how they should calculate their infrastructure renewal charge (IRC). The IRC is the amount of cash a water company is allowed for maintaining its networks. ...

ELECTRICITY DTI acts to ease overhead line upgrades.(News)(Department of Trade and Industry)(Brief article)
March 2, 2007... Distribution network operators should be able to add extra wooden supports and make minor changes to lines through national parks, the government has proposed. The suggestions were made in a consultation on overhead line networks from the...

Nuclear clarity by the summer.(Features)(water utilities to have standards for billing and charging)
March 2, 2007... Ministers signal the new timetable for the energy white paper and further atomic consultation The government last week announced that it hoped to publish the new round of consultation on nuclear policy when it publishes its delayed energy...

ENERGY Powergen promises to cut prices in May.(News)
March 2, 2007... by Roger Milne Eon UK, which markets energy under the Powergen brand, has become the latest major domestic energy supplier to spell out the details of upcoming price cuts. Its six million customers are set to see prices fall by 16 per...

Features.(Slovenske Elektrarne to begin construction of Mochovce nuclear power)(Brief article)
March 2, 2007... ENERGY Slovakia will finish nuclear plant Slovak electricity generator Slovenske Elektrarne (SE) will complete the third and fourth units of Mochovce nuclear power plant, prime minister Robert Fico has announced. SE is 66 per cent...

water Sewerage firms will take on private drains.(News)
March 2, 2007... by Vibeka Mair confusion over private sewers was resolved last week when the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) announced that householders would no longer bear responsibility for private drains. The nine water...

Features.
March 2, 2007... Fuel cells could change generation Distributed generation has been in the news frequently of late. Recent studies from the Department of Trade and Industry have shown that 30-40 per cent of the UK's power may come from microgeneration...

Features.
March 2, 2007... gas Swedes question impact of pipeline Sweden's Environmental Protection Agency has warned Nord Stream, the RussianaGerman consortium planning to build a natural gas pipeline under the Baltic Sea, that it may make a legal challenge if...

News.(utilities to tackle shortcomings in working practices and plant c)(Brief article)
March 2, 2007... The leak that left the Thorp reprocessing plant out of action for 18 months could have been halted, if recommended improvements following a separate leak in 1998 had been made, the Health & Safety Executive has said. Its report said there were...

ELECTRICITY Vattenfall says coal is Europe's future.(Features)
March 2, 2007... by Gerard O'Dwyer Coal will remain the most important energy source in the European Union well into the future, according to an internal report prepared by Vattenfall's Energy Research Unit for the state-owned company's board. The...

Centrica chief impresses the press.(Features)(Centrica Telecommunications)(Brief article)
March 2, 2007... Both the pink 'un and the Thunderer were complimentary last week about Centrica and its new chief executive, Sam Laidlaw, following the energy giant's interim results. In the Financial Times, Rebecca Bream suggested Laidlaw was making a...

energy Nuclear decision this autumn.(News)
March 2, 2007... by Roger Milne Key decisions on whether to build new nuclear power plants will now have to wait until the autumn, trade and industry secretary Alistair Darling has signalled. He has also revealed that a second round of consultation on...

ELECTRICITY Turbine noise case upheld.(News)
March 2, 2007... A judge has approved a High Court order quashing consent for a two-turbine windfarm on a site near the village of Shipdham, Norfolk, on the grounds that one of the planning conditions, dealing with noise, was "unenforceable and imprecise". ...

ELECTRICITY Power blackout spreads across north Yorkshire.(News)
March 2, 2007... Last week, thousands of homes and businesses in north Yorkshire lost supply after an incident that got worse when electricity distributor CE Electric UK tried to switch to an alternative feed. According to the network operator, the problem...

ELECTRICITY Ofgem ponders zoned fees for transmission.(News)
March 2, 2007... by Janet Wood The UK could reduce carbon dioxide emissions by between 280,000 and 920,000 tonnes a year, and reduce SOx and NOx emissions, if transmission charges were "zoned" to reflect how close they were to demand centres, according to...

News.
March 2, 2007... A national training standard for distribution networks would make it much easier to recruit and keep linesmen, contractor BTS tells ZoA' Grainge Branching out Contained within the Sector Skills Agreement (SSA) from sector skills...

News.(windfall tax on electric utilities)(Brief article)
March 9, 2007... Generators threatened with windfall tax MPs have urged the government to consider a "windfall tax" on generators if they continue to earn windfall profits during the second phase of the ETS and fail to invest in low carbon generation. ...

Data proves it is worth being an apprentice.(News)(Brief article)
March 9, 2007... Taking part in a government-funded apprenticeship scheme leads to higher wages over a person's lifetime, according to figures from the Department for Education and Skills. Government-backed researchers have looked at the contribution that...

News.
March 9, 2007... PAN-UTILITY 'Virtual' call centres on the horizon Companies can "future proof" their contact centre operations by shifting them to a hosted "pay as you go" service, according to service providers BT and Avaya. The two companies...

News.(Wessex Water PLC fined by New Forest magistrates)(call for ban on conventional light bulbs)(Progress Energy Inc. acquires BG Group PLC)(Brief article)
March 9, 2007... Carbon push Businesses, government and the environmental lobby in the UK have joined forces to lobby for a better designed and longer-term European Union Emissions Trading Scheme. Wessex fined Wessex Water has been ordered to pay...

News.(Brief article)
March 9, 2007... New Slovak challenge to ETS quota US Steel Kosice has gone to court to fight the European Commission's decision to cut Slovakia's carbon emissions for 2008-12 by a quarter. The move by the steelmaker, Slovakia's largest carbon emitter,...

ENERGY Blackouts and mergers forecast.(News)
March 9, 2007... European energy companies are still not investing enough to avoid power shortages and blackouts, utility executives believe. In a "Pulse" survey by CapGemini at the Edison Electric Institute meeting this week, executives said more...

News.
March 9, 2007... Gas moves: Centrica has denied last weekend's media reports that the Foreign Office has blocked moves by the energy giant to secure liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply contracts with Iran. The company said it was not about to sign a deal with...

News.(Brief article)
March 9, 2007... ELECTRICITY Danish wind demands wires upgrade Denmark will need to spend [euro]3 billion on new transmission capacity if the government is to succeed in its aim of doubling wind power generation by 2015, according to a new report from...

Features.
March 9, 2007... THE 8 March Veoila preliminary results 12-13 March Profitable management of climate change, conference organised by Insurance Times, London 13-14 March European Nuclear Forum, organised by the Adam Smith Institute,...

environment Include microgeneration in the EEC.(Energy Efficiency Commitment)(Brief article)
March 9, 2007... The Energy Efficiency Commitment (EEC) could be broadened to include larger-scale measures such as community heating, combined heat and power schemes, and community renewables. A majority of respondents to a Defra consultation on the third...

ENVIRONMENT ETS 'should include shipping'.(European Union. Emissions Trading Scheme)(Brief article)
March 9, 2007... The European Commission has signalled that extending the European Union's Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) to include shipping would be the best way to cap the sector's overall carbon footprint. In a report, the Commission argued that...

Too much, too late.(energy regulations by the European Union)
March 9, 2007... The EU is too ambitious in its strategic energy review and will again fail to deliver its objectives writes Chris Bowden In the European energy calendar, January used to be reserved for the annual energy benchmarking report. But, with...

ENERGY Enel raid leaves Eon's Endesa bid in tatters.(News)
March 9, 2007... by Simon Jones Enel has bought a 22 per cent stake in Spanish utility Endesa and got permission from stock market regulator CNMV to increase its holding to 24.99 percent. The 11th-hour move effectively derails Eon's [euro]41 billion bid...

ELECTRICITY Ignalina plant replacement attracts Eon.(Eon Nordic PLC)(Brief article)
March 9, 2007... Eon Nordic has approached Lithuania's Ministry of Finance (MoF) with a proposal to open formal discussions about investing in a new nuclear station at Ignalina. The MoF is expected to meet senior representatives of Eon Nordic by mid-April...

News.(London Energy Partnership publishes guide for setting up energy service companies )(Brief article)
March 9, 2007... ENERGY Definitive guide to Escos published What has been claimed as the most definitive and comprehensive guide to setting up so-called energy service companies (Escos) has been published this week by the London Energy Partnership. ...

News.(Switzerland planning to replace its nuclear power plants)(CEZ A.S. seeking to expand its activities in Poland)(Finland's Environmental Board may block gas pipeline by Nord Stream)(Brief article)
March 9, 2007... Pest control European Union environment ministers have given their informal backing to a European Commission plan to tighten controls on pesticides, a key pollutant of concern for water utilities. A formal vote on a regulation directive...

We just want to be loved.(the possibility of acquisition of United Utilities PLC)
March 9, 2007... Is United Utilities about to be bought by an overseas private equity fund? The great man poses the question after receiving news of strange goings-on at a recent United "stakeholder" meeting (is Disconnector alone in finding that word conjuring...

News.
March 9, 2007... Snail safe: rare snails in west London can sleep more soundly in their shells now that their Thames Water-owned island home has become a protected nature reserve. Pictured are the German Hairy snail and the Two-lipped Door snail, who should...

News.(solutions to control global warming )(Brief article)
March 9, 2007... Puff prize: remember the offer by the bearded one (aka Sir Richard Branson) to provide a $25 million prize for the best solution to global warming? Well, boffins at the University of Bristol have published a solution online in The Journal of...

News.(plans to end fuel poverty)(Brief article)
March 9, 2007... ENERGY 'Poverty premium' costs [pounds sterling]1,000 a year The UK's poorest households face an average [pounds sterling]1,000 annual "poverty premium" because they have to pay more for key services such as energy, according to a...

ENVIRONMENT MPs query carbon cut claims.(News)
March 9, 2007... by Roger Milne Parliament has accused environment minister Ian Pearson of misleading MPs over the carbon dioxide savings made in the UK as a result of the first phase of the European Union's Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). According...

News.(Survey)(Brief article)
March 9, 2007... Thousands inquire about water meters - most will be disappointed More than 30,000 people have inquired about meters ahead of the introduction of water charges in Northern Ireland, the government has said. Last month, 84 per cent of...

Let's talk.(Features)
March 9, 2007... After humiliation in the High Court, the government will have to start again and build a public-interest case for nuclear power, says Roger Barnard It was always on the cards that last year's decision by the government to support the...

ENERGY Two cheers for UK policies.(News)
March 9, 2007... by Roger Milne An international assessment of the UK's energy policy has given it a generally clean bill of health. Reservations include a dependency on gas, lack of clarity over possible new nuclear build and concern that the planning...

ELECTRICITY Higher prices drive profits at International.(News)(Financial report)(Brief article)
March 9, 2007... Higher power prices and good availability meant International Power's UK generating stations made "strong contributions" in the company's financial year ended 31 December 2006. Operating profit in Europe rose 59 per cent to [pounds...

News.(National Emissions Reduction Plan)(move to reduce emissions by large combustion plants)(Brief article)
March 9, 2007... ENERGY Large plants set to trade emissions The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has published proposals for a National Emissions Reduction Plan (Nerp) for large combustion plants. The Nerp will let plants that have...

Features.
March 9, 2007... Energy R&D must be taken seriously Last week the government got the equivalent of a pat on the back from the International Energy Agency for its energy policies and its commitment to liberalised markets and independent regulation. Ofgem...

UK keeps energy growth low.(International Energy Agency report on total primary energy supply)(Windfarm approval rates too low)(Water UK says energy use by utilities has reduced)
March 9, 2007... Both total primary energy supply (TPES) and total final consumption (TFC) have risen significantly less in the UK than in OECD countries as a whole, an in-depth report of the country's energy policy compiled by the International Energy Agency...

water Ulster unites against charges.(Brief article)
March 9, 2007... by Vibeka Mair Sinn Fein has called on postal staff not to deliver water bills, due in April, to Northern Ireland customers. The call came ahead of the Northern Ireland Assembly election, which took place after Utility Week went to press....

News.
March 9, 2007... ELECTRICITY Ofgem proposes final incentive deal Ofgem has published its final proposals for the incentive arrangements designed to encourage National Grid to operate the high-voltage transmission network as efficiently as possible. ...

National Grid recruits for network upgrade.(News)
March 9, 2007... by ZoA' Grainge National Grid has begun recruiting workers for its recently announced [pounds sterling]1 billion programme to upgrade the electricity transmission network. The company revealed last week that it had signed the first set...

WATER Northumbrian first with online billing.(News)
March 9, 2007... Northumbrian Water has become the first water company to offer its 1.9 million customers the option to pay charges online rather than receiving paper bills. Many energy retailers offer lower tariffs to customers with internet-only...

News.(Northumbrian Water Group PLC)(Brief article)
March 9, 2007... Northumbrian puts training back on course Northumbrian Water has inaugurated a [pounds sterling]680,000 apprentice scheme that replaces previous ad hoc apprenticeship recruitment and formalises the company's learning structure. It has...

ELECTRICITY Norfolk wind scheme foiled by weak rock.(News)
March 9, 2007... Unfavourable ground conditions offshore of Cromer in Norfolk have forced EDF Energy to cancel plans to build a 30-turbine windfarm. Norfolk Offshore Wind (NOW) had got section 36 consent from the Department of Trade and Industry in October...

ENERGY Ofgem markets team to be reorganised.(United Kingdom. Office of Gas and Electricity Markets)(Brief article)
March 9, 2007... Ofgem has announced a reorganisation of its markets division, led by executive director Steve Smith, and signalled the creation of a Europe and environment division to be headed by Sonia Brown. News of the changes emerged on Monday. David...

ELECTRICITY RO computers 'at operational limit'.(renewables obligation)(Brief article)
March 9, 2007... The administration of the renewables obligation (RO) came close to collapse in 2005/06 because the IT systems used by Ofgem are "at their operational limit", the regulator has said. In its annual report on the RO, Ofgem said that IT...

Water Firms could be liable over abstraction.(News)
March 9, 2007... The Environmental Liability Directive (ELD) must include "permit defences" absolving water companies from blame for environmental damage when using water abstraction or discharging permits issued by the Environment Agency, Ofwat has said. ...