Featured Posts
Time to accept that wind farm costs are not falling
There has been a consistent narrative that the cost of building new wind farms is falling, with falling subsidy [...]
Windfall tax harms oil and gas production and must be cut
In May last year, the UK Government introduced a windfall tax on the profits of oil and gas companies [...]
Why Norway’s views on energy security should ring alarm bells across Europe
Norway's energy security would appear to be a done deal, yet the past couple of years have been very [...]
Addressing the high real cost of renewable generation
Over the past few months we have been inundated with claims from interested parties that more renewables are the [...]
Recent Posts
An open letter to the energy regulator
Today Ofgem has written to suppliers to outline its response to current market conditions. It is difficult not to conclude that the regulator is inhabiting some strange alternative reality in which the usual rules of economics don’t apply – [...]
Is Ofgem’s regulation of energy markets appropriate?
The failure of GoTo Energy on 18 October brought the total number of supplier failures this year to 16, with 14 since August. Questions are increasingly being asked of Ofgem’s handling of the crisis, with many accusing the regulator [...]
The Net Zero Strategy: disappointingly one-dimensional
Last week the Government published its Net Zero strategy, building on last year’s 10-point plan, with some laudable aims to make the UK a world-leader in the “Green Industrial Revolution”. But, as always, the devil is in the detail, [...]
Domino effect: exit of gas shipper may push more suppliers to fail
This week has seen the failure of three more energy suppliers: Pure Planet which supplies gas and electricity to around 235,000 domestic customers, Colorado Energy with around 15,000 domestic customers, and Daligas with around 9,000 domestic and non-domestic customers. [...]
Security of supply is shakier than it has been in decades
Current high gas prices combined with a period of low wind output in September have re-awakened concern about security of supply, including among the general public – today my doctor asked me if he was going to be able [...]
Life continues to be difficult for energy suppliers
Life continues to be difficult for energy suppliers. This week Omni Energy informed its customers that it expects to cease trading by the end of November, and is encouraging its customers to switch before it closes and a Supplier [...]
A very volatile day for global gas markets
Gas markets were highly volatile today as prices went on a roller-coaster ride - front month NBP futures on ICE reached an unprecedented £4 /therm! Similar trends were seen in European markets with the key TTF benchmark exceeding €160 [...]
Global coal markets are also suffering shortages as gas crunch bites
While the world’s attention is on the current global gas shortage, a similar dynamic is playing out in the coal markets, with coal shortages creating difficulties in the power sector, even in countries with significant domestic production. Bergkamen A, [...]
Increased gas demand from China sees global prices rise further
In researching the new gas courses for my training programme, I discovered the etymology of the word “gas” - appropriately, it derives from the Greek word khaos meaning “chaos”. Sixteenth century Flemish scientist Joannes Baptista van Helmont, was interested [...]
Another three energy suppliers fail – they are unlikely to be the last
Today another three suppliers failed: ENSTROGA, Igloo Energy and Symbio Energy all announced they have ceased trading. ENSTROGA had around 6,000 domestic customers, Igloo had roughly 179,000 domestic customers, while Symbio supplied around 48,000 domestic customers and a small [...]
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