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New Thinking: Low carbon incentives for network? Yes! But will they work in the current wider governance context?
Low carbon incentives for network? Yes! But will they work in the current wider governance context? Matthew Lockwood, IGov Team, 23rd May 2018 Sustainability First have produced an interesting discussion paper proposing a low carbon incentive for inclusion in the next round of regulation for networks (RIIO2). The paper, written by regulatory experts Maxine Frerk (ex-Ofgem), Judith Ward (who is – full disclosure – on the advisory group of IGov2) and Sharon Darcy, argues for the introduction of a specific low carbon incentive that would work in three areas: Low carbon energy sources: incentivising network
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Global Insights: 22nd May 2018
AUSTRALIA New Rule for retailers prevents over-inflated discounts The AEMC have made a new rule this week that will stop energy retailers claiming larger discounts than are actually available. The rule states that no discount can be given for any product that would be higher than the standing offer if the discount was not available. The rule has been bought about to decrease the confusion around energy bills and the numerous discounts that are available which have made switching energy supplier confusing for consumers. Energy Networks under tax review from the AER The Australian Energy
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Presentation: Innovation & governance in the British energy transition
Innovation and governance in the British energy transitions From: Matthew Lockwood Presentation to: Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany, 14th May 2018 Summary The British energy transition to date The GB energy governance approach Challenges for the next phase of transition This presentation can be found here: Lockwood Innovation & govenance in the GB energy system
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Global Insights: 15th May 2018
AUSTRALIA Hornsdale Power Reserve already reducing prices The Hornsdale Power Reserve (or Tesla Big Battery) in South Australia (SA) released figures this week showing that it has managed to lower prices in the frequency and ancillary services (FCAS) market by 90%. The battery which is responsible for 2% of the capacity in SA, captured 55% of the FCAS market which drove down prices by 90%. It’s success in the market has been due to its speed and accuracy within the FCAS market. This has led to the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) and Tesla supporting
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New Thinking: Cracking in reactors should break open the debate on future electricity supply
Cracking in reactors should break open the debate on future electricity supply Anthony Froggatt, IGov Team and Senior Research Fellow at Chatham House, 9th May 2018 The UK has one of the world’s oldest nuclear commercial fleet. In 2017 nuclear provided 63.9 TWh or 19.3 percent of electricity, down from a maximum of 26.9 percent in 1997. Across the UK 30 reactors have been permanently closed, the 12 first-generation Magnox plants, with 26 reactors, 2 fast reactors, an Advanced Gas-cooling reactor at Windscale and a Steam Generating Heavy Water Reactor (SGHWR) at Winfrith. The remaining seven second-generation nuclear stations, each
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Submission: RIIO2 Framework Consultation
Ofgem RIIO-2 Framework Consultation Submission from Helen Poulter, Catherine Mitchell and Richard Lowes Energy Policy Group, University of Exeter 1. Summary The University of Exeter Energy Policy Group (EPG) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the RIIO-2 Framework. With this consultation, we feel that Ofgem has missed an opportunity to make the changes to RIIO2, and the wider, matching governance changes that we recommended in our response to the Open Letter[1]. Overall, we still feel that the proposed RIIO2 regulatory mechanism, as set out in the consultation, is still fundamentally flawed and ill-suited to
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Global Insights: 1st May 2018
AUSTRALIA Energy customers could leave the grid if there is limited action on affordability concerns Network charging is causing affordability concerns for some customers in the National Energy Market. The prohibitive cost of grid connection for new homes and the rising cost of the network standing charge on basic customer bills means that off-grid self-generation and storage is now more affordable, and in some areas more reliable, than a grid connection. If customers leave the grid this means that the remaining grid connected customers face paying even higher network charges. In order to reduce the
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Presentation: Assessing market arrangements and getting the best deal for users
Assessing market arrangements and getting the best deal for users From: Catherine Mitchell Presentation to: WEET Forum – Priorities for the UK Energy Market: competition, infrastructure and innovation, 26th April 2018, London Summary Getting the best deal for users – much broader than p/unit – more to do with having governance arrangements which deliver the services that users want Best deal for users with respect to decarbonisation: a new ‘user’ proposition Best deal for users with respect to the services users want and cost of service: we need a new energy system structure We need process and
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New Thinking: Will the EV future be diverted by a charging let-down?
Will the EV future be diverted by a charging let-down? Jess Britton, IGov Team, 26th April 2018 Following the Government’s pledge to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars in Britain by 2040 a host of support schemes for electric vehicles were announced in the Autumn Statement, including a Charging Investment Infrastructure Fund to accelerate the roll out of charging infrastructure, and more money to help people buy electric cars. Already 2018 has seen a flurry of announcements from both policymakers and energy companies, including the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) announcing
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Global Insights: 24th April 2018
AUSTRALIA National Energy Guarantee moves to next stage of the design process The COAG Energy Council met on Friday with one of the main points of discussion being the high-level design of the new National Energy Guarantee (NEG). The NEG contains a Reliability Guarantee and Emissions Guarantee and the document released on Friday gives a high-level view of the how the National Energy Market (NEM) will meet the guarantee requirements. It does not include what the Emissions Guarantee target will be but it does set out the detail of the reliability requirement. There has been
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