Utility Week articles from November 2008

Utility Week archives from November 2008

WaterCAT: Welsh Water price was unfair.(News)
November 14, 2008... The Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) said last week that Welsh Water abused its dominant position by charging Albion Water an excessive and unfair access price in 2001. Albion was unhappy with the price quoted by Welsh Water for supplying...

News.(briefs)(Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)(Brief article)
November 14, 2008... Two talk trash Scottish and Southern Energy has bid for three 25-year waste management contracts in Yorkshire jointly with Shanks. Shanks would treat the waste so it could be used as fuel for a combined heat and power plant on an existing...

ENVIRONMENTCourt challenge may put back CCS project.(News)(carbon capture and storage)(Brief article)
November 14, 2008... by Janet Wood The government's competition to build a demonstration carbon capture and storage (CCS) project faces delays because a rejected applicant has called for a judicial review into its exclusion. The Department of Energy and...

eNERGYNew watchdog starts push for lower prices.(News)(Brief article)
November 14, 2008... by Roger Milne New watchdog Consumer Focus this week launched a campaign to pressurise gas and electricity companies to bring down household bills in line with the fall in wholesale prices, in particular the collapse of the oil price,...

News.(Anglian Water PLC)(Brief article)
November 14, 2008... water DWI blasts Anglian's 'basic failure' A failure of "basic water supply hygiene arrangements" at Anglian Water caused the company's cryptosporidium outbreak earlier this year, the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) concluded last...

Serves you right?(Features)
November 14, 2008... Gas and electricity companies need to improve their communication with customers in order to raise satisfaction levels, writes Caspar Tearle Customer satisfaction in the gas and electricity sectors has declined over the course of this...

ELECTRICITYWires firms will be judged on outputs.(Features)(Brief article)
November 14, 2008... by Janet Wood Ofgem has extended until the end of February the deadline for distribution network operators to submit forecast business plan questionnaires for the next five years, but has asked companies to change the basis on which...

Features.(Brief article)(Calendar)
November 14, 2008... THE 17-18 November CMPi one-day conference on economics of sustainability in the built environment, London 18-19 November IEA and Marketforce's 7th annual infrastructure asset management conference, London 19 November...

ENERGYDenmark to delay Dong privatisation.(Features)
November 14, 2008... The Danish government has decided not to privatise Dong Energy in 2008, citing "turbulence in world financial markets and investor interest" as the primary reasons for the deferral. "We have revised our privatisation strategy for Dong yet...

Generating certainty.(Features)(Drax)
November 14, 2008... Coal behemoth Drax is embracing biomass in a big way . Chief executive Dorothy Thompson tells Janet Wood why What would the UK do without the 4,000MW of flexible power capacity it has at Drax? According to Dorothy Thompson, chief executive...

WATERTwo new Irish contracts for Veolia Water.(Features)(Brief article)
November 14, 2008... Veolia Water has been awarded two contracts for major wastewater treatment plants in Mullingar and Castlebar in Ireland. The two contracts - to design, build and operate the plants - will together deliver the company an estimated turnover of...

ENVIRONMENTMinisters opt for greener eco-town rules.(News)
November 14, 2008... The government has stressed that the sustainability standards of its proposed eco-towns will be significantly higher than existing standards, with all the built environment in the schemes achieving zero-carbon status. New housing in...

Features.
November 14, 2008... Gas connections European gas and power industry groups have joined forces to promote gas market integration. The groups said harmonising network access rules, increasing interconnection and developing market-based balancing rules could...

Martians kept me in the dark!(News)
November 14, 2008... The great man couldn't resist this headline from a recent Lancashire Evening Post: "Aliens blamed for power cut." The paper reported that following a complete loss of power to a large area of Chorley - two primary sub-stations in the town...

News.(Children in Need.)(Essex)(Brief article)
November 14, 2008... Sorted: Essex and Suffolk Water's crack team of superheroes is due to be out in force tonight (Friday) as the company's employees do their bit to raise money for Children in Need. Hence the presence of Pudsey the Bear. The bike is significant,...

EnergyHigh fuel bills fail to increase switch rates.(News)(Survey)(Brief article)
November 14, 2008... Recent price rises in domestic energy bills have not prompted significantly more consumers to switch supplier, according to research for charity Age Concern. ICM surveyed 1,001 adults last month and found that 20 per cent had changed their...

GASGerman tariffs fall as ministers up pressure.(Features)
November 14, 2008... by Simon Jones Two of Germany's five biggest energy utilities are among a handful of suppliers to have announced gas price cuts from as early as next month. Southwest German group EnBW and Mannheim supplier MVV Energie will reduce...

Features.
November 14, 2008... It's still the economy, stupid He may not be lying awake every night worrying, but it is clear that Alistair Buchanan, the energy regulator, is feeling twitchy about energy security. He made that abundantly clear when he spoke at last...

ELECTRICITYLong-term scenarios published.(News)(Brief article)
November 14, 2008... There are a range of potential development routes for UK electricity networks, Ofgem has concluded after a year-long study of possible future scenarios. In the final report on its Long-Term Electricity Network Scenarios (Lens) project,...

ENERGYMinisters ditch microgen target.(News)(Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Act 2006)(Brief article)
November 14, 2008... Ministers have decided not to set a target for microgeneration as expected under the terms of the Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Act 2006. That announcement was made last week in Parliament by energy minister Mike O'Brien. It took...

Features.
November 14, 2008... ELECTRICITY Small hydropower plants join forces RWE Energy and Siemens have claimed an industry first in integrating nine small hydro-electric power projects to operate as a single 8.6MW power station. The so-called "virtual power...

WATERNI Water undercharging businesses.(News)(Northern Ireland )(Brief article)
November 14, 2008... Northern Ireland Water (NI Water) is undercharging its trade effluent customers and other consumers may therefore be paying too much, the Northern Ireland Authority for Utility Regulation (NIAUR) said in a review of the company's charges. ...

Let's make a deal.(Features)
November 14, 2008... Stephen Littlechild asks whether Ofwat could take a back seat and let Ofwat and CCWater negotiate a regulatory deal that benefits everyone While UK regulators have developed the basic RPI-X approach, they are open to alternatives. Over the...

Features.(Brief article)
November 14, 2008... ELECTRICITY More delays for Finnish nuclear plan Finland's Olkiluoto 3 nuclear project is facing further delays after an inspection by Stuk, the nuclear safety authority, found weaknesses in welding works. The work had been...

News.(Brief article)
November 14, 2008... ELECTRICITY NDA: nuclear extensions in prospect The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) has confirmed it is in discussions with the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate, the nuclear regulator, about life extension for two of the UK's...

News.(Pentland Firth)(Brief article)
November 14, 2008... ENERGY Pentland developer seeks clarity A developer has asked The Crown Estate to provide more clarity about its long-term goals for power generated in the Pentland Firth. In September, The Crown Estate invited expressions of...

ENVIRONMENTCzech Republic backs climate deal.(Features)(Brief article)
November 14, 2008... The incoming 2009 Czech Republic presidency of the European Union will push hard to secure agreement over the EU's proposed climate change package, should the current French presidency fail to broker a deal in December. Prague's climate...

PAN-UTILITYPlanning Bill to pass Lords mostly intact.(News)
November 14, 2008... by Roger Milne The government's controversial proposals for a new planning regime for key infrastructure projects such as power stations and large water treatment plants have so far survived challenges in the Lords and look set to return...

Water charging under scrutiny.(Features)
November 14, 2008... Water issues exercise MPs, while the government's Planning Bill looks all but home and dry The government has acknowledged that the timing of Anna Walker's inquiry into water metering and charging is posing a problem in respect of when the...

GASCash shortage hits Portland storage project.(News)(Portland Gas)(Brief article)
November 14, 2008... Portland Gas's [pounds sterling]500 million scheme for a salt cavern gas storage facility, which already has planning permission and government consent, may have to be put on hold. The company said finding funding for the scheme had proved...

News.(revenue report)(Financial report)(Brief article)
November 14, 2008... ENERGY Npower reports 30% fall in profits Profit at RWE Npower, one of the UK's big six energy suppliers, fell 29.2 per cent in the first nine months of 2008, the company's German parent revealed in a trading statement. Profit for...

News.(Brief article)
November 14, 2008... Back on track? Eon has set a fleet of vessels to work at its Robin Rigg windfarm in the Solway Firth. Two jack-up barges, Sea Energy and Sea Worker, are installing the turbines. They join the MV Resolution, which is laying foundations, and the...

waterOfwat rejects company's bid for higher bills.(Features)(Brief article)
November 14, 2008... Ofwat has provisionally decided to reject Sutton and East Surrey Water's bid to raise prices by an average of 10.2 per cent in real terms in 2009/10. The water regulator ruled that the proposed price rise was not justified. Ofwat chief...

eNERGYForeign investors hit by Slovakia ruling.(Features)
November 14, 2008... by Simon Jones The Slovak government has created powers to block price rises planned by energy utilities. A special Cabinet meeting agreed a draft law enabling it to veto decisions made by foreign investors in state-owned assets. The...

Features.
November 14, 2008... Scottish Water should be privatised CBI Scotland's desire to see Scottish Water privatised is not a recent change in policy direction for Scotland's premier business lobby body. In fact, this is something that we have been calling for on...

ELECTRICITYVattenfall to team offshore with Scots.(News)
November 14, 2008... Vattenfall and ScottishPower Renewables have announced plans to join forces to jointly develop 6GW of offshore wind capacity. The two companies will form a consortium to submit tenders in March to The Crown Estate, which owns and manages...

Features.(Brief article)
November 14, 2008... ENERGY Court ignores waste-to-energy call The European Court of Justice has ignored European Commission calls for a legal precedent that waste-to-energy plants follow the same environmental impact assessment rules as waste incineration...

WaterNational water grid back on the agenda.(News)(Ofwat)(Brief article)
November 14, 2008... Ofwat may be considering a nationwide water network, it was claimed this week. Colm Gibson of consultancy LECG told Utility Week that an information-seeking letter sent to companies by Ofwat in September "indicates that Ofwat is beginning...

waterCustomers lukewarm on more competition.(News)(Brief article)
November 14, 2008... by Annabel Andrews Household customers do not support competition in the water industry if this would drive up prices for some bill payers, research published by Ofwat and the Consumer Council for Water (CCWater) has found. A small...

I heard it on the grapevine.(Features)
November 14, 2008... Robert Davies looks at what utilities can do to minimise the risk of falling foul of legislation designed to protect whistleblowers It is increasingly common for employment tribunal to hear claims where people say they have been sacked for...

waterNew inset appointment for Albion.(News)(Brief article)
November 21, 2008... Albion Water is set to become the new sewerage supplier for 700 properties in Southern Water's region. The service is currently provided by Kee Services. Albion is charging 5 per cent less than the standard Southern Water volumetric...

WaterRain drives down bathing water quality.(Features)
November 21, 2008... Bathing water quality in 2008 fell for the second year running in the UK. The UK-wide compliance level fell from 96.5 per cent to 95.8 per cent, down from the record level of 99.5 per cent in 2006. In England, pollution from overflowing...

Features.
November 21, 2008... Growing concerns: RWE Innogy, the energy giant's renewables arm, has announced plans to develop a wood-fuelled combined heat and power plant jointly with Germany's Troisdorf municipal utility. The partners have formed a company 51 per cent...

News.
November 21, 2008... Fund efficiency The proceeds of an auction of emissions trading allowances that took place this week should be put in a dedicated fund to subsidise energy-efficiency measures, said think-tank the Institute for Public Policy Research. ...

ELECTRICITYBoiler repair costs hurt British Energy.(News)(British Energy Group PLC revenue report)(Financial report)(Brief article)
November 21, 2008... Revenues at British Energy for what chief executive Bill Coley described as a "challenging" six months to 28 September fell to [pounds sterling]1,281 million, from [pounds sterling]1,390 million in 2007. However, pre-tax profit was hit...

Features.
November 21, 2008... ENERGY Buildings directive to be reworked The European Commission has announced plans to "recast" the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive. The Commission said huge energy savings were still possible, because efficient modern...

Hearts and minds.(Features)
November 21, 2008... Is the spectre of recession forcing utility companies to rethink their commitment to corporate social responsibility? Cathryn Bullimore reports With an economic downturn already under way, utility companies, like the rest of the business...

waterCave calls for an end to limits on mergers.(News)(Martin Cave)(Brief article)
November 21, 2008... by Annabel Andrews The current merger regime for water companies should be abolished, according to Martin Cave's interim report on competition and innovation in the water sector. Cave recommended the government should "reform, then...

ELECTRICITYUK Coal plans windfarm development.(Features)
November 21, 2008... UK Coal has teamed with green power company Peel Energy in a joint venture that could see up to 14 windfarms developed at sites owned by Britain's biggest mine operator. UK Coal has already identified more than a dozen potentially suitable...

ENVIRONMENTDanes want a CCS law by the end of 2009.(Features)(carbon capture and storage)(Brief article)
November 21, 2008... Denmark's Liberal party has put pressure on Conservative colleagues in the coalition government who are opposed to carbon capture and storage (CCS). The coalition has tabled a motion advocating general CCS technology use. It plans to push...

ELECTRICITYDenmark plans for time of day pricing system.(Features)
November 21, 2008... A majority in the Danish parliament is supporting a joint proposal to introduce a new electricity price system. The proposal, from the Social Democrats and the Liberals, would offer discounts of up to 10 per cent to users who agreed to...

In your debt.(Features)
November 21, 2008... Accenture and Utility Week asked people whether they they'd be able to pay their utility bills next year - the findings make worrying reading. Janet Wood reports Utility customers expect the coming year to be a financial assault course....

Features.(Calendar)
November 21, 2008... THE 24 November Pre-Budget Report published 24-25 November Environment Agency annual conference, London 25 November All-Party Parliamentary Water Group reception with innovation as the theme and guest speaker...

ENERGYCommission sets out long-term package.(Features)
November 21, 2008... by Keith Nuttall The outgoing European Commission - being replaced by a new team next November - has sought to lay down long-term commitments on energy policy, looking towards 2050. It has proposed a five-point Energy Security and...

WaterThames denies it overlooked reuse option.(News)(RWE Thames Water PLC)(Brief article)
November 21, 2008... Thames Water has rebutted claims made in Parliament that it had played down effluent reuse as a supply option. That claim was made by Ed Vaizey MP, whose Wantage and Didcot constituency near Abingdon has been earmarked for a new reservoir...

News.(Brief article)
November 21, 2008... Poor showing: low-income families paying too much for emissions reductions Research commissioned for green services support provider Eaga has warned that low-income households face disproportionately higher fuel bills because of measures...

News.(Brief article)
November 21, 2008... Water Water industry energy use is rising Energy use in the water industry rose for the second year running, according to Water UK's annual sustainability report. The increase took the total usage to 8,290.1GWh from 7,896GWh in...

Consumer body is out of Focus.(News)(Climate Change Agency)
November 21, 2008... Last week, amiable Peter Luff MP, the chair of the Commons Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Committee, was in a confessional mood. And no wonder. The poor lamb was chairing a session quizzing the top honchos at Consumer Focus and he...

News.
November 21, 2008... Lit up: Northeast England's largest night ride took place recently around Kielder Reservoir as part of the Northumberland Lights 2008 festival. It was sponsored by NEWheat, a local initiative to persuade businesses in the region to switch their...

News.(Brief article)
November 21, 2008... Howzat: top cricketer catches a duck. Our picture shows Durham County Cricket Club wicket keeper Phil Mustard catching (literally) a yellow duck to mark this year's Grand Durham Duck Race, sponsored by Northumbrian Water. Among the...

waterAnglian aims to clear FOG county-wide.(News)(fats, oils and greases)(Anglian Water PLC)(Brief article)
November 21, 2008... Anglian Water has launched the UK's first county-wide fats, oils and greases (FOG) recycling scheme in Northamptonshire. The company created a FOG mission statement with the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, backed by the...

News.(Brief article)
November 21, 2008... ELECTRICITY Generators take issue with feed-in tariff The Association of Electricity Producers (AEP) has warned that a new renewable energy feed-in tariff could undermine the main subsidy regime, the Renewables Obligation. The AEP...

News.(Brief article)
November 21, 2008... All aboard: the Al Khuwir this week delivered the largest-ever cargo of liquefied natural gas to the UK - 50 million therms. The delivery marks the final stage of commissioning of the second phase of National Grid's Isle of Grain terminal. A...

Features.(Brief article)
November 21, 2008... Well done ewe: Hill farmers should be rewarded for their contribution to water resource management, carbon storage and flood prevention, according to the National Trust. Iwan Huws, the National Trust's director for Wales, said: "With the right...

Features.(Brief article)
November 21, 2008... ENERGY IEA counts cost of reducing carbon The International Energy Agency (IEA) had a stark warning for policymakers in its annual World Energy Outlook: "The consequences for the global climate of policy inaction are shocking." ...

GASItaly wants gas exchange 'urgently'.(Features)
November 21, 2008... Italy's competition authority chief Antonio Catricala has called for the speedy introduction of a national gas exchange to improve market liquidity and allow open pricing. AGCM president Catricala told a Senate Industry Committee hearing...

Features.
November 21, 2008... Is the writing on the wall for the energy regulator? Should Ofgem be worried? Like football referees and the tax man, it knows that being unloved, or even disliked, comes with the job. However respect, even of the grudging variety, is a...

ELECTRICITYIrish tidal rotor to start turning again.(News)(Brief article)
November 21, 2008... Marine Current Turbines (MCT) has this week begun commissioning a new pair of blades on the western arm of its Seagen tidal flow generator in Northern Ireland's Strangford Lough. The original blades were damaged when a computer...

ENERGYNuclear and lignite on NI energy agenda.(News)
November 21, 2008... by Roger Milne Northern Ireland may have to consider building nuclear power stations because of concern over climate change and security of supply, the devolved administration has signalled. The prospect has been put forward in a...

Features.(Brief article)
November 21, 2008... PAN-UTILITY In a special report, Utility Week examines whether the sector is exploiting internet opportunities and keeping up with ever-changing consumer expectations of online experience ENERGY In June the government published a...

ENERGYOfgem 'failing to protect consumers'.(News)
November 21, 2008... MPs have taken energy regulator Ofgem to task over consumer protection, the regulator's stated "first priority". The main driver for lower prices should be customer switching, but more than a quarter of those who have switched have moved to...

Milliband calms blackout worries.(Features)
November 21, 2008... The current parliamentary session has almost run its course, but there is no end-of-term feel yet By the time you read this, the current parliamentary session will be nearly over, with the final stages of the climate change, planning and...

ENVIRONMENTPoland moots carbon dioxide price floor.(Features)
November 21, 2008... The Polish government has proposed to the European Union Council of Ministers that upper and lower limits for carbon dioxide permits within the EU's Emissions Trading Scheme should be established. Supported by the Baltic States, the Czech...

ENERGYRWE and Eon barred on municipal growth.(Features)(Brief article)
November 21, 2008... by Simon Jones Germany's highest court has backed a Federal Cartel Office (FCO) decision that stopped Eon taking a 33 per cent stake in Stadtwerke Eschwege. The Federal Court of Justice ruled that Eon and RWE already dominated...

ENERGYSSE and Eon see UK half-year profits slide.(Features)(Financial report)(Brief article)
November 21, 2008... by Janet Wood Two of the UK's big six energy suppliers, Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) and Eon, have reported sharply lower profits from their UK businesses. SSE blamed volatile wholesale energy markets and the poor performance of...

Features.
November 21, 2008... ENERGY Hungary introduces 'Robin Hood' tax Hungary's parliament has narrowly approved an 8 per cent "Robin Hood" tax on the profits of energy trading and supply firms. The measure, which comes on top of the standard 16 per cent...

News.(Scottish Water workers )(Brief article)
November 21, 2008... water Scots water workers vote to strike Scottish Water workers have voted to take strike action over the company's 2008 pay award. In a ballot of 1,100 workers, 65 per cent of those who voted supported a strike fighting Scottish...

Features.(trends in oil prices )
November 21, 2008... Buyer beware We are all only too aware of the uncertainty that has plagued the energy markets for the past 18 months. The price of oil recently fell to below $60 a barrel, its lowest level since February 2007, yet just a few months ago we...

WATER'More work needed' on carbon cuts.(News)(Brief article)
November 21, 2008... Regulator Ofwat and the government "must declare war on climate change" if the water industry is to significantly reduce its carbon emissions, according to Jack Carnell, managing director of South Staffs Water. Addressing the annual lunch...

News.(Vattenfall AB and Scottish Power PLC to join forces)(Brief article)
November 21, 2008... Northern exposure: Vattenfall and ScottishPower Renewables are joining forces to develop 6GW of offshore wind capacity. Their consortium will submit tenders in March to the Crown Estate, which owns and manages the seabed, for Round 3 licences...

Service with a smile.(Features)(Company overview)
November 21, 2008... Veolia Water UK chief Frederic Devos tells Annabel Andrews why he fears neither competition nor a lower cost of capital The first thing that Frederic Devos did when he took over as chief executive of Veolia Water UK was to buy the office an...

WaterWalker Review being rushed, says CCWater.(News)(Brief article)
November 21, 2008... by Annabel Andrews A consumer watchdog has raised concerns that the one-month consultation period for the Walker Review into water charging and metering is too short. Andy White, policy manager at the Consumer Council for Water...

eNERGYMinisters press for price cuts.(News)(Brief article)
November 21, 2008... by Roger Milne The government this week stepped up pressure on the big six energy suppliers to reduce domestic bills as soon as possible and to end unfair tariffs. Energy secretary Ed Miliband met representatives of the companies on...

News.(Water UK to criticize proposal in Ofwat)(Brief article)
November 21, 2008... water Industry slates accounting proposals Water UK has sharply criticised proposals in Ofwat's consultation on accounting separation. The industry body said: "We are very disappointed that Ofwat's consultation - the only one on...