Utility Week articles from March 2009

Utility Week archives from March 2009

Visionary times.(Features)
March 6, 2009... Can technology help the utility industry meet growing demand while reducing the use of conventional fuel sources? asks Doug Houseman With global warming, carbon reduction, ageing workforces and other challenges, utility companies are coming...

ENERGYCentrica on nuclear deadline.(News)
March 6, 2009... by Roger Milne Centrica's bid to take a significant stake in British Energy, now owned by EDF, is not yet a done deal, but both companies are working towards completing the negotiations by the end of this month, the UK energy giant said....

PAN-UTILITYCall for clarity on who leads poverty crusade.(News)
March 6, 2009... by Janet Wood Consumer Focus has called on the government to be clear about who is responsible for tackling fuel and water poverty. There is confusion over the roles of government and regulators in helping vulnerable customers,...

PAN-UTILITYUtilities under fire after gas blast kills girl.(News)
March 6, 2009... The parents of a nine-year-old girl killed in a gas explosion last year have accused utility companies of failing to maintain their networks safely. The accusation came after an inquest into the incident when gas seeped from a fractured...

Risk takers.(Features)
March 6, 2009... Ian Sloggett says energy utilities need to be as sophisticated as financial institutions when it comes to assessing their exposure to counterparty risk As if the failure of Lehman Brothers and Bear Stearns and the near collapse of so many...

ENERGYEnel adds nuclear deal to expansion.(Features)
March 6, 2009... Italy's Enel is to form a joint venture company with EDF of France to carry out feasibility studies to build four nuclear power stations in Italy. The deal follows an announcement by Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi that he would...

Features.
March 6, 2009... Takeover on track Gas Natural has increased its investment in Union Fenosa to 50.02 per cent, the level at which it must publish takeover proposals. Gas Natural said the long-planned acquisition was proceeding on schedule. CCS plan ...

GASMinister bullish over gas supply.(News)
March 6, 2009... Energy minister Mike O'Brien claimed last week that by 2020, the UK could have nearly five times as much gas storage capacity as the country's existing total of around 4.4 billion cubic metres (bcm). His bullish assessment of the prospects...

Reasons to be cheerful.(Features)
March 6, 2009... The CHPA's Graham Meeks tells Roger Milne why the prospects have never looked brighter for the take up of CHP Graham Meeks is director of the Combined Heat and Power Association (CHPA), and he is adamant that there are plenty of reasons to...

ELECTRICITYTwo consortia set up to bid for windfarms.(News)
March 6, 2009... Two consortia have been formed to bid for the right to build offshore windfarms around the UK. Scottish and Southern Energy, through its Airtricity subsidiary, and RWE Npower Renewables have joined with two Norwegian companies, state-owned...

Storage will be the key to balancing.(Features)
March 6, 2009... The UK's electrical energy landscape is in a state of flux, with ambitious renewable energy targets, the decommissioning of most of the country's nuclear power stations and the closure of coal-powered stations that do not have flue gas...

Back to the future?(Features)
March 6, 2009... The Lindsey Oil Refinery strike marks a return to the UK of widespread "unofficial action" . Simon Ost examines the ramifications for utilities lEnsure that managers are aware of, look out for and then report, warning signs of an...

ELECTRICITYSwedes seek compromise over nuclear.(Features)
March 6, 2009... The Swedish government has agreed to discuss in parliament a proposal by opposition parties that could secure the government the support it needs for its pro-nuclear expansion programme in exchange for a [euro]20 billion plan to add 5,000MW in...

ENERGYNational Grid incentives published.(News)
March 6, 2009... Ofgem has published final proposals for National Grid's system operator incentives for the upcoming financial year. The main proposed change to National Grid Gas's (NGG's) system operator incentives regime is a plan to develop a three-year...

waterCredit crunch delays Thames reservoir.(Features)
March 6, 2009... Thames Water has said it will delay building its Abingdon reservoir after the credit crunch hit water demand. The company said it had revised its demand forecasts in light of the current economic situation, which was curtailing commercial...

ENERGYVattenfall and Nuon to amalgamate.(Features)
March 6, 2009... Vattenfall has announced plans to merge with Dutch energy company Nuon. North European utility Vattenfall said it had made an all-cash offer of [euro]8.5 billion enterprise value for Nuon's shares, equivalent to [euro]10.3 billion for the...