Utility Week articles from October 2006

Utility Week archives from October 2006

Water.(Osprey group agrees $4.1 billion bid for Anglian Water Group)(Brief article)
October 6, 2006... by Vic WymanThe consortium that this week launched a takeover bid for Anglian Water parent AWG claimed that its offer was unlikely to be topped, despite AWG's announcement of subsequent rival approaches.Osprey Acquisitions' agreed ?2.2 billion...

UK blighted by poor skills in school, says Amicus.(Brief article)
October 6, 2006... The UK is producing too many students with low-level vocational skills that are of little use to employers, according to research sponsored by trade union Amicus. The report was conducted in conjunction with Cranfield University. It found that...

Features.(shutdown of Bilbis A nuclear reactor could be delayed)(Brief article)
October 6, 2006... electricityRWE seeks cracks in shutdown planRWE has sparked a debate about Germany's plans to phase out nuclear power by proposing to use some of the limited number of nuclear megawatt-hours still permitted to extend the life of an old reactor...

News.(United Utilities PLC fined by Bury magistrates)(South East Water Ltd appoints Paul Butler as managing director)(Thames Water PLC plans to sell stake to Acuatico)(Brief article)
October 6, 2006... Split on metersOfgem will relax constraints on electricity meter services, judging that competition is effective, from 31 March 2007. It has, however, retained controls on gas metering.United finedUnited Utilities has been fined ?11,000 and...

News.
October 6, 2006... Pay another way: Payzone says competition will cut transaction costsIn the works: industrial users should soon see falls in the spot marketDIY power: from this weekend, some B&Q stores will be selling solar panels and Windsave roof-mounted wind...

ELECTRICITY.(Carbon Trust envoronmental association)(Brief article)
October 6, 2006... The government has committed ?10 million to an initiative supporting the expansion of renewable energy on public sector land.The venture, spearheaded by the Carbon Trust, will help local authorities, health trusts and other public bodies...

ENERGY.(EU misses deadline for second energy saving plan)(Brief article)
October 6, 2006... The European Commission has missed a second deadline to adopt its long-awaited plan for energy saving in the 25-member EU, triggering suspicions that Brussels is turning lukewarm on the policy.The policy was originally expected on 19 September....

What have you got to hide?(Viewpoint essay)
October 6, 2006... Utility companies claim to fully appreciate the value of their customer databases and the imperative of making sure they have the highest levels of security. However, the recent furore that erupted over AOL's self-admitted "screw-up" over user...

ENERGY.(EU investigates companies of member nations for tax breaks)(Brief article)
October 6, 2006... Denmark's proposed tax breaks for companies that participate in the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme are being investigated by the European Commission, which fears they might break EU business subsidy rules. The Commission is concerned...

Features.
October 6, 2006... THE5 OctoberBeesley Lecture: Professor Jacques Cremer asks if regulated firms should be allowed to vertically integrate in unregulated markets, London9 OctoberParliament returns after summer recess9-10 OctoberMEUC conference, Brussels12...

GAS.(Energy industries invest in energy transit)(Brief article)
October 6, 2006... Dutch gas transporters Gasunie and Gas Transport Services (GTS) have announced plans to invest more than ?1.25 billion in the country's grid to meet growing domestic demand for capacity and increased international transit.A business case...

Water.
October 6, 2006... English and Welsh customer organisation the Consumer Council for Water (CCWater) has demanded that the Environment Agency include it as an "interested party" in its communications on drought issues.CCWater said that six of the agency's eight...

In safe hands.(gas networks prepare for possible terrorist attacks)
October 6, 2006... With the threat from international terrorism at a peak, the UK is on a high state of security alert and the threat level is still judged as being "severe" (see box, "On the lookout"). Utilities have to be especially diligent because, along with...

Jumpin Jaks splash greets Tories.(Conservative Party conference)
October 6, 2006... Conspiracy theorists could make a pile of excrement out of the following, literally.Disconnector refers to the fact that a night club in Bournemouth was forced to close last weekend after a pumping station near the town's pier failed.Jumpin...

News.
October 6, 2006... Sitting pretty: a team from Eon's power technology division won both the utility section and the overall title in this year's Kielder Challenge even though (or maybe because) the six-person unit spent a night in a bivvi in the woods. Cosy or...

News.
October 6, 2006... Leading edge: pictured is the stunning wood sculpture created by International Chainsaw Carving Champion Peter Bowsher. It has been awarded to York's St Paul's Church of England Primary School under a scheme run by CE Electric UK. The wood used...

WATER.(Ofwat PLC criticizes London Assembly report)(Brief article)
October 6, 2006... Ofwat has criticised a London Assembly report about drought in London which recommended that all water companies should reduce leakage targets beyond economic levels and said that Ofwat should set stricter targets and return fines to...

GAS.(National Grid Gas challenges May court ruling )(Brief article)
October 6, 2006... National Grid Gas (NGG) has got the go-ahead to challenge a May court ruling that could mean it will have to pick up a multi million pound bill to clean up contaminated gas industry sites it has taken over from previous gas undertakings.A High...

energy.(energy market needs more infrastructure )(Brief article)
October 6, 2006... The European Commission is drawing up a priority interconnection strategy for the European Union which could mean additional money for strategic energy projects, as well as help in overcoming planning blockages.The prospect was revealed last...

PAN-UTILITY.(merger of Suez and Gaz de France approved by National Assembly)(Brief article)
October 6, 2006... The proposed merger of Suez and Gaz de France (GDF) took a major step forward this week when legislation required to enable the part-privatisation of the gas giant was passed by the National Assembly. Finance minister Thierry Breton has been...

Hidden messages.(proper document management)
October 6, 2006... Every day, millions of documents are sent to and from utility companies across the world via email. Documents that used to exist in hard copy only, such as tax records, budget summaries, customer contracts and confidential memos, can now be...

ENERGY.(European competition commission)(Brief article)
October 6, 2006... by Roger MilneEuropean competition commissioner Neelie Kroes has given the clearest warning yet that the Commission will force integrated energy companies to unbundle their network, generation and supply activities, after conceding that legal...

Features.(Ofwat PLC)(Mid Kent Corp)
October 6, 2006... Mergers pose hard questions for OfwatAfter months of behind-the-scenes manoeuvring, another wave of merger and acquisition activity is sweeping the water industry. Two key questions might be answered following the acquisition of South East...

Network spend was essential.
October 6, 2006... Sir: Your report on Ofgem's initial proposals for the one-year gas distribution price control suggested that much of the companies' capital overspend in the current price control was deemed to be "unnecessary or inefficient".Not true.Ofgem...

News.(Magnox Electric PLC to be sold to private bidder)(Brief article)
October 6, 2006... ELECTRICITYMagnox sell-off fears gain ground The government refused to confirm or deny this week that state-owned British Nuclear Fuels (BNF) has formally proposed that Magnox Electric, which operates the country's remaining ageing Magnox...

Post war.(postal centre security management and risk management)
October 6, 2006... The world of postal centre operations has changed dramatically since the 9/11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Centre and the discovery of the original anthrax letters. The key objectives of faster and more efficient postal processing and...

New diplomas to get ?40m extra funding.(Brief article)
October 6, 2006... by Zo? GraingeEducation and skills secretary Alan Johnson has announced an extra ?40 million in funding for the government's new diplomas, set to be introduced in 2008. The diplomas, including one in engineering, are designed to mix vocational...

WATER.
October 6, 2006... Thames Water has launched a third metering trial, aimed at new occupants in Bromley and Croydon, south London.The company said: "The free trial will help us understand issues that we may face with flats or confined areas."Head of metering...

Safety in numbers.(using personal digital assistants and other technologies for information transfer)
October 6, 2006... For the staff member who needs to work at home in the evening, or at other remote locations such as customer sites, transporting data out of the office has never been easier. Just plug a PDA (personal digital assistant), smartphone or USB stick...

Gas price control tightened.(United Kingdom. Office of Gas and Electricity Markets)
October 6, 2006... Ofgem has unveiled its initial proposals for the gas distribution price control for 2007/08. The context for the exercise includes the fact that the companies have spent considerably more investing in (and replacing) their networks than was...

Features.
October 6, 2006... INTERVIEWPaul Golby, chief executive of Eon UK, takes an optimistic view of the futureWATERA look at the recently-launched national research programme on endocrine disruption and how its findings will inform regulatory...

ENVIRONMENT.(Statoil add carbon storage )(Brief article)
October 6, 2006... Norway's Labour-led coalition government has made a U-turn on its demand that Statoil add carbon storage and capture to an application to build a 630MW gas-fired cogeneration plant at Mongstad, next to the group's oil refinery. Instead, it has...

WATER.(Water Services Regulation Authority)(Brief article)
October 6, 2006... Water companies have dismissed regulator Ofwat's claim that they have made a "slow start" on their current five-year investment programme. They said the irregular investment pattern was a symptom of the five-year periodic review.Ofwat's...

PAN-UTILITY.(reduction in handling prepayment costs)(Brief article)
October 6, 2006... by Steve HobsonUtilities could save millions of pounds on prepayment accounts by breaking exclusive deals and encouraging competition, according to Tim Murphy, chief operating officer at Alphyra, owner of the Payzone consumer payments...

Pan-utility.(wage surveys of chief executive officers of utilities)(Survey)(Brief article)
October 6, 2006... by Vic WymanUtility bosses are paid far less than their counterparts in other sectors, according to a study by consultancy KPMG.Chief executives of FTSE 100 utilities earned a median ?1.1 million last year, including salary, bonuses and other...

News.
October 6, 2006... Centrica has promoted finance director Phil Bentley to head British Gas. Bentley will assume his new role in February 2007. Payment processing technology company Eiger Systems has appointed Jim Conning as managing director. Conning joined the...

Get covered.(Loss Prevention Certification Board)(security of potable water)
October 6, 2006... A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. It is said so often it is almost a clich?, but when it comes to security, it definitely holds true. Even access covers, cabinets and doors - inventory traditionally classed as ancillary equipment -...

Parties play their green cards.(Labour Party (United Kingdom)'s conference on climate change)(Conference news)
October 6, 2006... Another week, another party conference and an opportunity for David Cameron to set out his stall as the leader of a party that is a serious contender for political power. But will the Conservative faithful, gathered in Bournemouth, remain happy...

eNERGY.(reduce in gas prices)(Brief article)
October 6, 2006... by Roger MilneFuture wholesale gas and electricity prices have fallen since the beginning of September and hold out the prospect of respite for industrial buyers after last winter's pain, according to consultancy John Hall Associates. Future...

Features.
October 6, 2006... ELECTRICITYRussia woos Finland with price cutsHelsinki-based United Power, controlled by Russia's Rosenergoatom, has offered to sell electricity to 1,000 domestic and industrial customers at prices pegged to the Russian wholesale price for five...

Water.
October 6, 2006... by Vic WymanWater regulator Ofwat has referred the acquisition of South East Water by a subsidiary of Australia's Westpac Banking Corp to the Office of Fair Trading, prompting a Competition Commission inquiry.Westpac bought South East Water...

News.(Brief article)
October 6, 2006... Three steps to energy securityThree developments have eased the UK's gas supply position in the short and medium term. First, Norway's Statoil will supply Centrica with an extra 1.5 billion cubic metres of gas this winter. Second, the import...

Features.(Office of Water Services)(2003 Water Act )
October 6, 2006... The problem with water competitionAs the water industry struggles with problems of drought, leakage and allegations of fraud, it is perhaps instructive to consider its history over the past 150 years. Our current systems of water treatment and...

ENERGY.
October 6, 2006... by Ivan CastanoPortugal's biggest power supplier, Energias de Portugal (EDP), is understood to have approached Spain's Gas Natural with a merger proposal.Gas Natural is mulling over its options after its hostile bid for Endesa was trumped by a...

GAS.
October 6, 2006... Ofgem has rejected a move by Centrica's gas storage arm to change the way information about its gas storage facilities is disclosed under new arrangements that came into force for the first time this week.Centrica had called for the changes...

PAN-UTILITY.
October 6, 2006... Energy utilities ScottishPower and National Grid forecast strong interim results this week, saying growth was in line with or ahead of expectations.ScottishPower said trading was up thanks to good growth at its wind and thermal energy...

News.(Conservative Party (United Kingdom) plan for law on carbon emissions trading)(Brief article)
October 6, 2006... ENVIRONMENTTories push for global carbon tradingPlans for a market-based global trading system for carbon emissions will be the centrepiece of new Conservative proposals for dealing with climate change, delegates to the party conference in...

WATER.
October 6, 2006... United Utilities has been given leave to appeal a House of Lords ruling that some of its waste treatment plants need permits from the Environment Agency under the Pollution Prevention and Control Regulations.A test case covering six plants...

Engineering course kicks off in school.(Hawkley Hall High School starts applied engineering course)(Brief article)
October 6, 2006... Fifteen pupils in the north west have become the first in the country to start studying for a City and Guilds Level 2 qualification in Applied Engineering. The two-year course started this month and was developed by United Utilities and Energy...

News.
October 6, 2006... Waterwise has launched the UK's first logo to go on products that use water efficiently. It will "act as a guide for environmentally conscious buyers", according to Jacob Tomkins, director of the water-saving group, who noted that the idea was...

News.(wind and nuclear power produce less amount of carbon)(Brief article)
October 6, 2006... The lowdown: wind and nuclear power produce the lowest carbon emissions of all "low carbon" forms of generation when emissions over their lifetimes are calculated, according to a briefing note from the Parliamentary Office of Science and...

Water.(law on water billing)(Brief article)
October 6, 2006... Northern Ireland's consumer protection body is trying to delay legislation on water charging that would reduce its powers and lead to water users having less protection than energy users.The legislation transferring ownership of the Water...

ENVIRONMENT.(law for using renewable energy)(Brief article)
October 6, 2006... Regional planners in the East Midlands have called for the development of a distributed energy network using local low carbon and renewable energy resources by 2020.Their draft strategy, now out for consultation, also sets numerical targets for...

Water.(Osprey's shares)(Brief article)
October 13, 2006... The Osprey Acquisitions consortium doubled its shareholding in takeover target AWG to more than 22 per cent on Monday this week. AWG is the parent company of Anglian Water.The move was widely seen as an attempt to deter other potential bidders....

Features.(Brief article)
October 13, 2006... Gas challengeItaly's Federutility has mounted a legal challenge to try and overturn gas tariffs set earlier this year by energy regulator AEEG. The association said the below-market tariffs would undermine local utilities and, because only Eni...

L.
October 13, 2006... One of the biggest omissions in the government's long-awaited energy review was any mention of a new mechanism for longer-term pricing of carbon emissions. Despite talking up the prospects for new nuclear power stations, the review left a huge...

Features.
October 13, 2006... THE12 OctoberBeesley Lecture: professor Sam Peltzman on W(h)ither regulation? LondonJohn Hall Associates' Energy Buyers Forum, Northampton16 October Red Electrica's nine-month results17 OctoberUKBSCE national conference: Building the low carbon...

ENERGY.
October 13, 2006... by Janet WoodSecurity of energy supply in the European Union is being threatened by lack of investment and by member states' unwillingness to support the Commission's drive to deregulate markets, according to Capgemini's annual European Energy...

Features.
October 13, 2006... environmentGreens attack 'lax' carbon cut plansEnvironmentalists have stepped up their campaign to persuade the European Commission to get tough on National Allocation Plans (NAPs) for the second phase of the European Union's Emissions Trading...

Disru.
October 13, 2006... The idea of fish changing sex sounds fantastical. Anyone outside the environmental sector could be forgiven for expecting it to be the prelude to a joke. But it is far from funny - the phenomenon is a manifestation of a serious problem...

ENERGY.
October 13, 2006... Enel is to invest ?900 million in energy projects in Bulgaria.Part of the money will fund a 650MW expansion of the Maritsa East 3 power plant, in which Enel has a 73 per cent stake. Enel and Bulgarian gas utility Bulgargas have also agreed...

Just do it.(european electricity market liberalization)
October 13, 2006... European electricity market liberalisation is not a single event, but a process requiring sustained political commitment, attention to detail and continuous development to sustain investment while the necessary adjustments are made. This is...

No news is bad news for ITN.
October 13, 2006... Has ITN lost the plot? Disconnector is forced to suspect the worst following the news programme's performance last week.What did it lead its early evening bulletin with last Tuesday? Was it the latest bombings in Iraq? A fire fight in...

News.(Brief article)
October 13, 2006... Cocktail coup? Pictured are workers at Npower's Worcester office who supported this year's World's Biggest Coffee Morning in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support. Yes, there was coffee and cake, but the former was definitely exotic. The team came up...

News.
October 13, 2006... It takes three to dangle: our pictures show Utility Week's editor Steve Hobson (left) and advertising executive Vishal Desour (centre) and Achilles chief executive Colin Maund abseiling at last week's Utilitylive exhibition. They were raising...

ENERGY.(Gerard O'DwyerEon Nordic is interested in co-financing and operating a sixth Finnish nuclear reactor )(Brief article)
October 13, 2006... by Gerard O'DwyerEon Nordic is interested in co-financing and operating a sixth Finnish nuclear reactor (FIN6) as part of its strategy to expand its generation capacity in the country."We are looking for investment opportunities. Eon may be...

News.(regulations on electricity transmission)(Brief article)
October 13, 2006... The Health & Safety Executive has become the "thematic regulator", dealing with employee and public safety issues in electricity transmission and distribution. The change means three employees from the Department of Trade and Industry's...

ELECTRICiTY.(Brief article)
October 13, 2006... Energy regulator Ofgem has launched a consultation on the Innovation Funding Incentive (IFI) and Registered Power Zone (RPZ) schemes that were introduced as part of the fourth electricity price control review.Ofgem said that feedback from the...

Features.
October 13, 2006... How to lose friends and alienate peopleMinisters have only themselves to blame if the wheels start to fall off their push for nuclear power just as the train begins to pick up speed. Greenpeace has fired the opening shots by seeking a judicial...

ELECTRICITY.(Luxembourg fined for not implimenting the European Union's key electricity liberalisation directive, 2003/54/EC)(Brief article)
October 13, 2006... The European Court of Justice has formally censured Luxembourg for failing properly to implement the European Union's key electricity liberalisation directive, 2003/54/EC.The grand duchy was supposed to have complied by 1 July 2004. However,...

Gas price takes a tumble.
October 13, 2006... Massive oversupply of gas at the start of the gas "new year" on 1?October led to short-term prices going negative, with traders paying buyers 5p/th to take excess volume off their hands.While unusual this is not unique, having last happened in...

News.
October 13, 2006... ENERGYGas networks rolled out in Northern IrelandFirmus Energy, the company rolling out the natural gas distribution and supply network in the north west of Northern Ireland, has announced its first batch of non-domestic customers, including a...

Water.(Brief article)
October 13, 2006... Northern Ireland's consumer protection body has tried to derail plans to introduce domestic water charging by demanding a judicial review of the legislation.A Northern Ireland High Court judge was scheduled to hear a judicial review application...

Features.(Brief article)
October 13, 2006... INTERVIEWAlbion Water managing director Jerry Bryan digests the long-awaited judgement from the Competition Appeal Tribunal, following his company's case against Ofwat over supply to Shotton PaperWATERFurther comment on the inset process, this...

ELECTRICITY.
October 13, 2006... The Norwegian wind power industry has described as "derisory" a government scheme that would subsidise onshore and offshore windfarms to the tune of 1?eurocent per kilowatt-hour.The subsidy is being offered as part of a government initiative to...

Mix it up.
October 13, 2006... The man who once told us the market was bust now believes the market has learnt its lesson. Paul Golby, the chief executive of Eon UK, is convinced that gas is the only way forward in the short term, but he does not believe there will be...

News.(conference on clean nuclear energy)
October 13, 2006... The energy review has renewed the debate about building new nuclear power plants, but what are the skills implications? . Zo? Grainge reportsThe impact of the government's recent energy review on the nuclear industry, and what it means for...

Court challenge threatens review.(Malcolm Wicks plan to generate electricity using nuclear power )
October 13, 2006... Westminster is back in business after the summer break and energy minister Malcolm Wicks was facing a grilling about the government's energy review courtesy of the Commons Trade and Industry Committee as Utility Week went to press.He will be...

ELECTRICITY.(renewable energy obligation)(Brief article)
October 13, 2006... by Roger MilneGenerators and green energy trade bodies have cautiously welcomed long-awaited government proposals to update the financial support scheme for renewables.One suggestion out for consultation is that the Renewables Obligation should...

Features.(Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals (European Commission))(Brief article)
October 13, 2006... WATERWFD link puts pollution in ReachThe Reach regulation on the registration, evaluation and authorisation of chemicals in the European Union has been amended to establish a link between it and the Water Framework Directive.Eureau, the...

Features.(consumer education on rising energy prices)(Brief article)
October 13, 2006... Are consumers getting the price message?It cannot have escaped anyone's attention that energy is currently a prevalent topic - whether in the media or the corridors of Whitehall.However, the pertinent question for me is: are we getting the...

Licensed to bill.
October 13, 2006... Ofgem is now in the final stages of its review of the licences that regulate the activities of electricity and gas suppliers in Britain. It is the regulator's first major look at these licences since the domestic energy market was opened to...

News.(Wessex Water PLC fined)(Brief article)
October 13, 2006... Pollution payoutWessex Water has been fined ?8,950 after being found guilty of polluting a stream in Ferndown, Dorset. The Environment Agency said pollution had threatened three local nature reserves.Converge and uniteEuropean energy...

environment.(emissions trading sccheme )(Brief article)
October 13, 2006... City fund managers have added their voice to calls from generators and other interested parties that want more certainty about medium and longer-term carbon emissions targets and the shape and scope of the European Union's Emissions Trading...