Featured Posts
New report: The true affordability of net zero
This evening my latest report: The true affordability of net zero, was launched at an event hosted by The [...]
Norway turning away from electricity interconnection
Norway is turning away from electricity interconnection as its governing coalition collapses over disagreements over energy co-operation with Europe. [...]
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 [...]
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
T-1 capacity market auction clears with a high price and some interesting questions
Last week saw the T-1 capacity market auction clear at its second highest level ever of £60 /kW/year, down from £75 /kW/year last year when the auction cleared at its maximum price since the procurement target was higher than [...]
Centrica’s record profits create outrage, much of it unfair
Today Centrica announced record profits of £3.3 billion (actually the company booked a statutory loss after revaluing its hedging book, but this is an accounting quirk due – more of which later). The outrage has been predictable with the [...]
No end in sight to the troubled smart meter rollout
When the UK Government first announced its Smart Meter Implementation Plan in 2013, it hoped to see 30 million smart meters installed by 2020. In fact, this target was only reached in Q3 2022. Having extended the rollout to [...]
The Octopus takeover of Bulb is the subject of a legal challenge
The Octopus takeover of Bulb which was announced in November is now subject to a legal challenge from a group of the company’s rivals who argue that it received preferential treatment from the Government. Bulb collapsed in November 2021 [...]
Norway acts to restrict electricity exports and protect security of supply
Last year I warned repeatedly that Norway can not be expected to sit passively by while other countries drain its reservoirs and that it may well take steps to restrict exports. I drew attention to comments by Norwegian Prime [...]
The DFS was activated for the first time but was it really needed?
This week National Grid ESO has activated its Demand Flexibility Service (“DFS”) for the first time. The scheme was used for 1 hour on Monday 23 January and 1.5 hours the following day. The coal reserves were also placed [...]
Expensive energy subsidies to be scaled back
Back in October, the Government put in place energy subsidies for households and businesses, designed to protect them from the impact of high energy prices. For households, the intention was to reduce the number of people that would be [...]
Gas prices have halved in recent weeks but it may be too soon for optimism
Gas prices have fallen across the curve in recent weeks, returning to levels last seen before the war in Ukraine (but still higher than they were before the covid recovery began in September 2021). The reasons for these reductions [...]
War in Ukraine will continue to drive energy markets in 2023
It’s always interesting at the start of the year to look back at what I was thinking this time last year. In my opening remarks I said: “I suspect that by the end of 2022 we will have finally [...]
A brief history of Christmas dinner
Last year’s Christmas blog, while definitely tongue in cheek, was a little bleak, and this year has been bleak enough without adding more, however light-hearted. So, I thought I’d explore a slightly different aspect of energy: traditional Christmas fuel [...]
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