Utility Week articles from May 2008

Utility Week archives from May 2008

News.(low income and poor housing are the causes of poverty)(Brief article)
May 2, 2008... Bouquets and brickbats: the participants' verdict Ofgem chairman Sir John Mogg insisted: "Low incomes and poor housing are the chief causes of fuel poverty and for government to address. The focus of this summit has been to channel existing...

ELECTRICITYEon chooses Areva's reactor design for UK.(News)
May 2, 2008... by Janet Wood Eon shook up the UK's nuclear new-build process last week when it announced that it had signed a letter of intent with Areva of France to buy Areva's EPR reactor design to build in the UK. The deal was part of a broad...

WaterFlooding plans 'inadequate'.(News)(Brief article)
May 2, 2008... by Annabel Andrews Sir John Baker has warned utility companies that "the sheer scale and severity" of floods in the future will make their current plans inadequate. Sir John chairs Water UK's Flooding Review Group. He was addressing...

News.(Yorkshire Water PLC fined for polluting the river Humber)(National Street Works Highway Group changes its name to Joint Authorities Group)(Scottish Power PLC signs contract with Tata Consultancy Services Ltd.Tata Consultancy Services Ltd.)(Brief article)
May 2, 2008... Yorkshire fined Yorkshire Water was fined [pounds sterling]10,000 with cost of [pounds sterling]1,337 at Hull Magistrates' Court on 22 April for polluting the river Humber. A sample taken in April 2007 was found to have exceeded the...

News.(Carbon capture and storage)(Brief article)
May 2, 2008... Remember the transport requirements, says Amec Power stations may be driving the development of carbon capture and storage but there are other players, Alastair Rennie, project director for renewable and green energy at Amec, told the CCS...

ENVIRONMENTBerr has nine CCS bidders.(News)
May 2, 2008... by Janet Wood Nine bidders have entered the pre-qualification stage of the government's competition for a carbon capture and storage (CCS) demonstration project, according to Michael Jacobs, a senior special adviser in the prime minister's...

PAN-UTILITYContractors shaken by OFT action.(News)(Office of Fair Trading)(Brief article)
May 2, 2008... Utility companies have been advised to redouble due diligence in their contracting processes after an Office of Fair Trading (OFT) investigation in the construction sector. The OFT says it has received evidence of cartels on thousands of...

Features.(Brief article)(Calendar)
May 2, 2008... THE 6 May Severn Trent Water due in court for sentencing after SFO prosecution 7 May Climate change and the water sector, a one-day conference organised by CMS/CIWEM, London EDF first quarter 2008. Veolia first quarter...

Delivering zero-carbon development.(News)(Conference notes)
May 2, 2008... Jon Kimber, head of energy efficiency at Centrica, has agreed to talk about the work British Gas has done on consumer attitudes and behaviour in relation to energy conservation at Utility Week's eco-conference on 5 June. Other energy firms...

ENERGYEnel in talks to sell power grid to Terna.(Features)(ENEL S.p.A)(Brief article)
May 2, 2008... by Simon Jones Enel chief executive Fulvio Conti has confirmed that the group is discussing the sale of its medium and high voltage grid to network operator Terna. "While negotiations are going on with Terna, we won't look at any...

News.
May 2, 2008... Watt savings? Energy consumption by UK households has risen 9 per cent since 1990, according to a survey that said shorter-term financial incentives (including tax breaks) were needed to "green" the behaviour of UK households. The study, by...

ELECTRICITYEon chooses Areva's reactor design for UK.(News)
May 2, 2008... by Janet Wood Eon shook up the UK's nuclear licensing process last week when it announced that it had signed a letter of intent with Areva of France to buy Areva's EPR reactor design to build in the UK. The deal was part of a broad...

Features.(MOL Rt to acquire OMV)(network fees regulation)(Teollisuuden Voima plans nuclear reactor)(Brief article)
May 2, 2008... MOL blocking move Hungarian group MOL has won shareholder backing for measures designed to block a hostile takeover by Austrian utility OMV. Shareholders agreed to raise the share buyback cap from 10 per cent to 25 per cent to allow MOL to...

Tales from the olden days.(News)
May 2, 2008... The privatisation of the country's utilities is now a well-told story. That doesn't mean that the early days are now an open and closed book. There are some surprising insights still to be learnt. Consider the following from Ken Harvey, now...

News.
May 2, 2008... Truck loads of trouble: this looks suspiciously like a still from a recent episode of Doctor Who but in fact shows the no-nonsense direct approach of Ferro Monk Systems, one of the UK's leading wastewater asset and pipeline rehabilitation...

ENERGYLittle cheer at energy summit.(News)(Brief article)
May 2, 2008... by Roger Milne Campaigners have claimed that last week's energy summit on fuel poverty "ducked the big issues" and failed to get commitment on a series of measures to give the government any hope of closing in on its targets for helping...

News.
May 2, 2008... Strike force: the 48-hour strike at Ineos's Grangemouth oil refinery, which ended on Tuesday, cost the offshore oil and gas industry around [pounds sterling]50 million a day, business secretary John Hutton claimed this week. The strike, which...

ENVIRONMENTGreece banned from Kyoto carbon trades.(Features)(Protocol to the Framework Convention on Climate Change, 1997)(Brief article)
May 2, 2008... Greece has been barred from trading carbon credits under the Kyoto Protocol's flexible mechanisms, the first European Union state to be disqualified. Last week's decision to block Greece was made by the UN climate change convention's...

ELECTRICITYLords to probe cost-benefit of green energy.(News)
May 2, 2008... A House of Lords committee has announced plans to conduct an inquiry into the economics of renewable energy. The Lords' Economic Affairs Committee will examine the costs and benefits of renewables and "establish how they compare with other...

Features.(smart meter regulation)(government contract)
May 2, 2008... Don't hold your breath for smart meter rollout Getting a decision out of the government on the rollout of smart meters is proving more painful than pulling teeth. The speed is, frankly, glacial. Last week ministers set pulses racing a...

Ofgem reviews cost of capital.(Features)(United Kingdom. Environment Agency)(United Kingdom. Office of Gas and Electricity Markets)
May 2, 2008... Ofgem has put its thinking cap on again and is considering cost of capital issues as it prepares for the electricity distribution price control review. The cost of capital is a pivotal factor in determining allowed revenue under a price...

News.(fuel poverty fears as Northern Ireland prices rise)(Brief article)
May 2, 2008... ENERGY Fuel poverty fears as NI prices rise Energy customers in Northern Ireland face price rises that will throw more people into fuel poverty and the province's government must take action, the regulator has warned. Iain...

Let's talk.(Features)(utility regulations)
May 2, 2008... Stephen Littlechild argues that regulation should take a back seat in favour of encouraging customers and companies to negotiate between themselves Last November, the House of Lords Select Committee on Regulators published UK Economic...

Features.
May 2, 2008... WATER How should contractors and suppliers adapt their offerings and working practices in line with water companies' 25-year Strategic Direction Statements? ENERGY Fallout from the conclusion of the long-running Endesa takeover...

Is Ofgem fit for purpose?(Features)(United Kingdom. Office of Gas and Electricity Markets)
May 2, 2008... Roger Barnard and John Cooper ask if Ofgem's remit should be changed to align it more with national policy objectives Utility regulation as we know it in Great Britain has been one of the most effective public policy innovations of the past...

News.(Northumbrian Water Group PLC sponsors apprenticeship programs)
May 2, 2008... By supporting a fresh approach to teenage education, Northumbrian Water hopes to attract a new generation to utilities . Kathy Oxtoby reports The future's bright When Castle View Enterprise Academy opens its doors next year, its...

Wacc up call.(Features)(United Kingdom. Office of Water Services)
May 2, 2008... After a spectacular cost of capital miscalculation in 2004, Nigel Hawkins says Ofwat should put all its efforts into getting its sums right in 2009 In its continuing consultation for the 2009/10 periodic review, it is curious that Ofwat is...

Welcome given to smart meter move.(Features)
May 2, 2008... Local elections, the Grangemouth dispute and the Energy Bill all loomed large this week This week, the government's Energy Bill was scheduled to complete its Commons scrutiny before heading to the Lords. However, the most pressing...

Features.(privatization of energy industries)(Brief article)
May 2, 2008... ENERGY Polish privatisation back on track A major privatisation programme announced by new Polish prime minister Donald Tusk will include the state's holdings in leading energy groups Enea, Tauron, Energa and Polska Grupa Energetyczna...

The X factor.(Features)(United Kingdom. Office of Gas and Electricity Markets's RPI-X regulation)
May 2, 2008... Ofgem has put a question mark over the future of RPI-X, but Philip Burns argues that it can still deliver results for customers The recent tributes paid by Ofgem chief executive Alastair Buchanan to the RPI-X system as a "trusty servant"...

MULTI-UTILITYGerman merger plan on brink of collapse.(Features)(Gelsenwasser AG)(Stadtwerke Bochum GmbH)(RWE Energy AG)(Brief article)
May 2, 2008... by Simon Jones Plans to establish a national multi-utility in Germany built around the municipal suppliers of Dortmund and Bochum and their joint water holding Gelsenwasser are close to collapse in the face of internal disagreements and...

News.(water infrastructure improvement)
May 2, 2008... Improving the water infrastructure in urban areas will be a key priority for Sepa over the next three years, according to the Scottish environmental regulator's draft corporate plan for 2008-11. It cites Glasgow as an example of an area...

waterSepa kicks up a stink for Scottish Water.(News)(Brief article)
May 2, 2008... Scottish environmental regulator Sepa last week issued an enforcement notice on Seafield Sewage Treatment Works after a fault with the site's sludge management prompted complaints about odour from residents. The site is operated for...

News.(Sepa's labor dispute)(Brief article)
May 2, 2008... pan-utility Sepa staff vote for industrial action Staff at the Scottish environmental regulator have voted for "action short of a strike" as part of an ongoing dispute over pay. Marion Adamson, Unison regional officer, said this...

News.(free energy display units plan dropped)(United Kingdom. Office of Gas and Electricity Markets)(Brief article)
May 2, 2008... Energy retailers have welcomed the government's decision to drop its plan to oblige supply companies to provide free energy display units if customers asked for them. Berr said it would not require energy companies to make energy displays...

ENERGYSmart meter decision delayed until autumn.(News)(Brief article)
May 2, 2008... by Roger Milne The government has said a decision on the rollout of domestic smart meters is unlikely before the end of the year. The news was signalled in a letter from the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform...

ENERGYSmart meter decision delayed.(News)(Brief article)
May 2, 2008... by Roger Milne The government has said a decision on the rollout of domestic smart meters is unlikely before the end of the year. The news was signalled in a letter from the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform...

Features.(Water conservation projects)
May 2, 2008... Water efficiency devices do work Contrary to the news story and the Leader article on pages 5 and 12 of the 18 April issue of Utility Week, water efficiency is alive and well. In the past, proposals for large-scale water efficiency...

News.
May 2, 2008... Gaz de France and Suez subsidiary Electrabel have become joint owners of Teesside Power. They said a planned upgrade of the 15-year-old station would go ahead. The plant generates 1,825MW using eight turbines.

News.(United Utilities's flood protection study)(Brief article)
May 2, 2008... Watching the skies: flood resilience at United Utilities United Utilities had a foretaste of what was to come in 2007 when in January 2005 it was hit by severe floods. The company responded by starting a flood protection study that is...

News.(Alan Sutherland of water regulator Wics speaks about competitive market)(Brief article)
May 2, 2008... WATER Scots water model 'bound to spread' Water competition in England and Wales will "inevitably" follow the retail-only model introduced in Scotland on 1 April, and energy retailers will enter the enlarged market, according to Alan...

Features.(European Union. European Commission's water pricing policies)(Brief article)
May 2, 2008... WATER Price hikes 'would cut water waste' The European Commission is placing water pricing policies at the forefront of its efforts to tackle water shortages in Europe, officials confirmed at a conference hosted by the European Water...

Shades of green.(Features)(climate change)
May 23, 2008... How far are people willing to go in terms of changing their behaviour to help stop climate change, asks Rob Sheldon? With its impact being felt by people all over the world, climate change never seems to be out of the headlines. Yet even...

Features.
May 23, 2008... Playing the field: British Energy (BE) has received "a range of proposals from several interested parties wishing to make an offer for the company". Some proposals were priced higher than its 680p share price, BE said. The UK nuclear company...

WATERRain offers little relief from Spanish drought.(Features)
May 23, 2008... by Janet Wood There was a brief respite last week for drought-hit areas in northern Spain when it rained in the region for two days. However, the storms are expected to do little to alleviate a long-standing dry spell that has seen...

News.
May 23, 2008... Wind reversal The Scottish government has overturned a decision by a planning authority in the Scottish Borders to refuse a ten-turbine wind scheme proposed by Airtricity near Selkirk. Six of the best Six European utilities are...

ENERGYMP voices fear on connection competition.(News)(Brief article)
May 23, 2008... Ofgem chief executive Alistair Buchanan has promised to investigate allegations that in some parts of the country industrial and commercial schemes were being held up because utilities were demanding large upfront contributions before agreeing...

waterCCWater could copy consumer panel example.(News)(Brief article)
May 23, 2008... The Consumer Council for Water (CCWater) is considering establishing consumer panels similar to those announced by energy regulator Ofgem last week. CCWater chair Dame Yve Buckland said: "We applaud Ofgem for pursuing a system in which it...

Features.
May 23, 2008... ENERGY CEZ to focus on low-carbon projects CEZ plans to build two gas-fired plants in the Czech Republic and will increasingly focus on low carbon emission power sources, said chief executive and chairman Martin Roman. The company...

News.(Carbon Trust)(Public Accounts Committee )(Brief article)
May 23, 2008... ENVIRONMENT Carbon Trust 'meeting easy targets' The Carbon Trust has won qualified support from a cross-party group of MPs, which said the Trust was "likely to meet" its target of reducing carbon dioxide emissions from business by 4.4...

ENERGYMPs told market is 'busted'.(Features)
May 23, 2008... by Roger Milne Parliament was told this week that the UK's energy market was a comfortable oligopoly that exhibited "tacit collusion" and was ripe for a Competition Commission referral. That was the conclusion of Energywatch chief...

Mixed forecast.(Features)
May 23, 2008... Sak Nayagam examines how energy utilities can best meet the challenges, and make the most of the opportunities, that climate change is bringing about Society is rapidly reaching a consensus on the nature of climate change, the role of...

Features.(Brief article)(Calendar)
May 23, 2008... THE 23 May Ofgem electricity distribution price control review workshop on customers and environmental issues, London Final day of COGEN European annual conference, Brussels 24-26 May G8 environment ministers' meeting,...

Competition for domestic customers.(News)(Brief article)
May 23, 2008... Ofwat has proposed that domestic competition should be brought in once the market has been tested by business customers and effective safeguards have been developed to protect households. Social tariffs would continue under household...

ELECTRICITYAlstom deal boosts Drax biomass burn.(News)(Brief article)
May 23, 2008... by Roger Milne Drax Group signed a deal this week that should move the generator much closer to its goal of producing 10 per cent of output at its 4,000MW plant, Europe's biggest coal-fired station, from co-fired biomass. Under the...

Features.(Spain facing charges over Endesa)(Brief article)
May 23, 2008... ENERGY Spain facing charges over Endesa The European Commission (EC) has given Spain a month to answer charges that it imposed unlawful conditions when Enel and Acciona bought Endesa last year. If Spain does not give a...

Commitment to change.(Features)(EDF Energy)
May 23, 2008... EDF Energy's Peter Hofman tells Karma Ockenden why the company has spelled out its climate targets Marks & Spencer gained a lot of positive publicity recently when it announced it was soon to stop giving away plastic bags to customers....

ELECTRICITYEDP's green subsidiary set for expansion.(Features)(Energias de Portugal)(Brief article)
May 23, 2008... EDP Renovaveis (EDPR) has announced plans to raise up to [euro]2 billion from a rights issue to fund its expansion plans. The Energias de Portugal subsidiary plans to expand its wind energy portfolio from its current level of 3.7GW to reach...

ENVIRONMENTUK companies ahead as ETS limits decrease.(News)(Emissions Trading Scheme)(Brief article)
May 23, 2008... UK companies purchased 88 million allowances in the first phase of the EU's Emissions Trading Scheme, which covered the three years to the end of 2007, according to Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) figures. ...

ELECTRICITYBrussels awaits Eon's disposal compromise.(Features)(E.ON UK PLC plans to sell its high-voltage power grid)(Brief article)
May 23, 2008... by Simon Jones Eon has provided further details of its plans to sell its high-voltage power grid and 4,800MW of generating capacity - a process that may not be completed before late 2010. Eon agreed the disposals in February in return...

Features.(OMV (UK) Ltd. acquires MOL Rt)(Fluxys at fault)(European Commission invites utility companies to apply for research grants)(Brief article)
May 23, 2008... Poland warning The Polish energy regulator has warned that capacity shortages could trigger blackouts in urban areas this summer. Mariusz Swora said that summer demand for electricity had risen 20 per cent since 2005. Economics minister...

Conflict of interest, obviously.(News)(Nigel Brandon)
May 23, 2008... Now you see him, now you don't. Eagle-eyed readers who follow the comings and goings of the board of the Gas and Electricity Markets Authority may have been wondering what happened to professor Nigel Brandon. He was appointed a...

News.(Npower)(Brief article)
May 23, 2008... Leading from the top: Mandy Phillipson (above) and 30 other staff from Npower's Gateshead and Newcastle offices abseiled down the Tyne Bridge to raise more than [pounds sterling]6,000 for the Daisy Chain Project, a charity that provides respite...

News.
May 23, 2008... Sign of the times: Three Valleys Water, along with its contractors Balfour Beatty Utility Solutions, Enterprise, M Holleran and Mace Group, took time out recently to celebrate replacing 400km of water mains over the past three years. Flushed...

ENVIRONMENTCarbon capture 'must hit fossil fuels equally'.(Features)
May 23, 2008... European policy makers must frame carbon capture legislation with care to ensure they do not prompt another "dash for gas", a senior industry figure has warned. Alstom power and environmental policies senior vice-president Joan MacNaughton...

News.(Scottish and Southern Energy contracts with Fluor Corp. to construct windfarm)(Brief article)
May 23, 2008... ELECTRICITY Contract signed on record windfarm Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) has signed a [pounds sterling]900 million contract with Fluor to design and construct the UK's largest offshore windfarm. The windfarm, Greater...

waterCustomers should be told about Idoks.(Features)(Consumer Council for Water )(Brief article)
May 23, 2008... Water companies should inform their customers when they apply for interim determinations (Idoks), according to Ofwat. The regulator also said it expected companies to share details of applications with the Consumer Council for Water (CCWater)....

Features.(Marine Management Organisation)(Marine Bill)
May 23, 2008... Marine Bill sets sail in murky waters A cheer is probably in order after the government's promise to embark on an all-singing, all-dancing Marine Bill during the next parliamentary session. The legislation has been long-promised and is...

ENERGYNational Grid looks to Europe and the US.(News)(Brief article)
May 23, 2008... by Janet Wood National Grid has signalled an interest in expanding into European networks. The shift came as the company announced profit up 28 per cent for the year to 31 March, to [pounds sterling]2.6 billion. Executive director for...

Features.
May 23, 2008... ENERGY RWE Innogy's Kevin McCullogh has [euro]1bn a year to spend on green generation. Utility Week finds out more EUROPE Electricity industry body Eurelectric on why Europe needs an integrated energy market ENERGY With...

EnvironmentNorway concerned over carbon bill.(Features)
May 23, 2008... Norway faces a bill of [euro]200 million by 2012 for buying carbon emissions credits as the country continues to struggle to fulfil its Kyoto obligations, according to a Department of Energy report. The report identifies existing and...

Features.
May 23, 2008... Npower comes bottom of the complaints pile Energywatch figures show that Npower is Britain's worst energy retailer in terms of customer service. Audrey Gallacher, the watchdog's head of company performance, said the company was worst for...

Features.
May 23, 2008... electricity Four nuclear applicants in Finland Finland's Ministry of Economy is anticipating more new applications for permission to build a sixth nuclear reactor. Teollisuuden Voima (TVO), Finland's biggest privately owned...

Spotlight falls on the energy market.(Features)
May 23, 2008... Energy competition is centre stage this week as MPs give it the third-degree. Expect some blood-letting This week, Parliament embarks on the oral sessions of its inquiry into the energy market. MPs want to examine whether there is a case...

ELECTRICITYInvestors fear renewables 'bubble'.(News)
May 23, 2008... Energy leaders fear that a renewable energy investment bubble is developing, according to auditors KPMG International. KPMG said its survey of 202 executives in the energy industry "comes on the back of a surge in prices being paid for...

Model behaviour.(Features)
May 23, 2008... A model has been developed to help network operators predict and plan ahead to avoid the worst effects of severe weather . Neil Hayden explains They are the backbone of the UK distribution system - the wooden poles via which power is...

News.(fight against flooding for Scottish Water )(Brief article)
May 23, 2008... water MSPs: Scottish Water could do more A group of MSPs has said that Scottish Water could do more in the fight against flooding. The Scottish Parliament's Rural Affairs and Environment Committee, in its report on flooding in...

environmentUnison action starts to bite in Scotland.(News)(Brief article)
May 23, 2008... Unison's industrial action is affecting the Scottish Environment Protection Agency's (Sepa's) ability to deliver services. Members of the public services trade union have opted for action short of a strike as part of an ongoing dispute...

Sewerage competition on the cards.(News)
May 23, 2008... Ofwat sees "no insurmountable barriers to competition" in the sewerage sector. The regulator said the sewerage transport network was assumed to be a natural monopoly, but the contestable areas of sewage and sludge treatment and disposal formed...

Features.(Traffic Management Act)
May 23, 2008... Street moves are unfair for utilities Well, it finally arrived on 1 April: the eagerly awaited changeover to new noticing arrangements and the new street works IT system. The change, brought about as a result of the Traffic Management Act,...

News.(utilities prepare for fixed panalties)(Brief article)
May 23, 2008... PAN-UTILITY Utilities prepare for fixed penalties New powers have come into force that enable local authorities to fine utilities for streetwork offences. Councils can issue the so-called Fixed Penalty Notices when utilities fail to...

Suds law.(Features)(sustainable urban drainage systems)
May 23, 2008... Building sustainable urban drainage systems sounds like a great idea, but who should be responsible for maintaining them, asks Victoria Joy? For two-thirds of the homes flooded last summer, the cause was not watercourses bursting their...

ENERGYWarm Front vouchers under review.(Features)(Brief article)
May 23, 2008... Environment minister Phil Woolas has agreed to consider whether the government's contractor-based Warm Front programme might benefit from a voucher scheme that would allow households to choose their own company for energy-efficiency work. ...

waterOfwat calls for competition across the board.(News)
May 23, 2008... by Annabel Andrews Ofwat has unveiled a radical vision for the future of the water industry in which competition extends from water supply to sewage disposal and all customers can choose their supplier. The national retail services market...