Daily Debrief

The war reveals Britain’s exposure to volatile fossil fuel prices. More North Sea drilling will not shield households, building domestic green energy will What should Britain do when war in the Middle East sends energy prices soaring? If the strait of Hormuz were blocked for the month of fighting that Donald Trump predicts, British households could face another brutal cost of living shock. Goldman Sachs warns of prices at the pump rising to 2022 levels. That would put more than 50p on each litre in the tank. Prolonged disruption to global gas supplies could see energy bills in the UK rise by £900 to £2,500 a year. Such uncertainty strengthens the case for going big on clean energy. Ed Miliband, the energy secretary, has grasped this reality. By contrast, the Conservatives and Reform UK are doubling down on domestic fossil fuel extraction. The debate is framed around a simple claim of energy security: drill more at home. But the argument is rhetorical. Britain might export a bit more crude and have a smidgen more gas. But it would still need to import refined fuels and liquefied natural gas (LNG). Households would remain exposed to global energy shocks. Clean electricity, by contrast, cuts gas demand and reduces exposure to volatile markets. The political pressures are jobs, tax revenues and the economies of Scotland and north-east England tied to a declining asset. Continue reading...

Two firms join forces to explore potential for producing low carbon aviation fuel in the UK using nuclear power generated by small modular reactors

But budget pressures creating major challenges Research reveals that many local authorities in England are making significant strides in retrofitting their buildings, adopting renewable energy and electrifying infrastructure as part of their net-zero journeys. Despite this, two-thirds are not confident they will […]

Interocean Marine Services has signed a master services agreement with JERA Nex bp covering specialist marine consultancy and assurance services in support of its North Sea and global offshore wind operations.

Consultation on changes to Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs), Display Energy Certificates (DECs), and air conditioning inspection reports (ACIRs).

Vauxhall-owner said to be planning to ramp up electric van production at its Ellesmere Port assembly line, despite on-going concerns over UK's ZEV Mandate

Kevin McGuane, Energy Services Director for DMA Group, discusses why making an energy audit should be considered an essential first step in any sustainable building upgrade. The Royal Institution of […]

A few days ago, Larry Evans introduced us to BYD’s hot new “Flash Charging,” which is the quickest charging we’ve seen for passenger electric vehicles. In fact, it is a very big deal for multiple reasons. Jennifer Sensiba followed up earlier today to explain some of that, including how electric ...

Swedish private equity group to inject funds into utility in sign of enduring investor confidence in the industry

UK chancellor pledges to be ‘responsive’ to rising living costs but any support would come against difficult fiscal backdrop

Investment for long-duration energy storage has dropped, edged out by lithium-ion's economic advantage

Government accused of failing to get major schemes off the ground

New sustainability analytics to be integrated across a range of London Stock Exchange Group platforms

While the set-up in Great Britain looks secure for now, the Iran war shows why more storage seems essential Alarmed that Great Britain has only enough gas in storage to cover two days of consumption? Actually, Michael Shanks, the energy minister, is right that the bald statistic is not a reason to run for the hills. But he would help his case if he admitted that the long era of running a “just-in-time” approach to gas supplies looks increasingly unworkable. Shanks is obviously correct that Great Britain does not source its supplies from storage. About 75% of our gas comes from the North Sea – from domestic fields and via the 725-mile underwater Langeled pipeline from Norway – and neither source is affected by the war in Iran. Continue reading...

Leading European Power Exchange Nord Pool is collaborating with Clean Horizon on a new index for battery storage in Europe.