PES Energy News – 09 January 2023

Table of contents:

01 – Britain’s grid had its ‘second greenest’ year on record in 2022 – Wind power hit new highs last year, according to data from the grid operator

02 – Ofgem reveals RO late payments recovered from energy firms in administration – The energy regulator has recovered a tiny proportion of RO late payments

03 – Rishi Sunak says “net zero will be solved by innovation” – The UK needs to have “the most innovative economy in the world,” the PM said in his New Year’s Speech

04 – SMEs call for more help amid “bleak” outlook – A business group has reported that most small businesses face a triple-digit percentage of energy cost increases

05 – Britain’s national smart meter network grows 37% in 2022 – Data traffic through Britain’s smart metering network increased by 91%

01 – Britain’s grid had its ‘second greenest’ year on record in 2022

Electricity produced across the UK was close to the greenest it has ever been in 2021, National Grid has confirmed.

The report suggests zero carbon electricity sources played an increasing role in delivering electricity, with more than 50% of electricity coming from these sources in February, May, October, November and December.

National Grid said the greenest month was February, with a carbon intensity of 126gCO2/ kWh.

Electricity from wind turbines has continued to grow in importance to the operation of the grid.

In November 2022, more than 20GW of electricity was produced by wind for the first time, representing more than 70% of electricity generated on that day.

Since then, this record has continued to tumble, with 30th December delivering the largest generation to date of 20.9GW.

Jess Ralston, Head of Energy at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, said: “New offshore wind farms are helping to limit bill increases this year but we are still some way behind countries like Germany that got around 45% of their power from renewables in the last year.

02 – Ofgem reveals RO late payments recovered from energy firms in administration

The energy regulator has recovered a tiny proportion of RO late payments The energy regulator has posted details of the outstanding Renewables Obligation (RO) late payments it recovered from the administrators of the suppliers which are no longer trading.

The government’s RO scheme urges energy companies to demonstrate they have sourced enough electricity from renewable sources to meet their obligation.

The report suggests Ofgem recovered £217,563 from the administrators of Brilliant Energy for the compliance period 2017-2018, 2018-2019 and 2019-2020.

The total amount due is £1,810,778.

The regulator also received £75,148 from administrators of GENERGY – the company owes £1,328,180 in RO late payments.

Ofgem also recovered £1,362 from USIO which is also in administration – the supplier owes £185,390 in RO late payments for the period 2017-2019.

A few months ago, Ofgem consulted on issuing final orders to two energy suppliers, Delta Gas and Power and Logicor for a delay in their Renewables Obligation payments.

03 – Rishi Sunak says “net zero will be solved by innovation”

“Major challenges like energy security and net zero will be solved by innovation.”

That’s what the Prime Minister had to say in his New Year’s Speech, focussed on how the UK can move forward and create a brighter and greener future in the face of adversity.

“The change we need is to put innovation at the heart of everything we do,” Rishi Sunak said.

He explained that “some people think innovation is about gadgets and geekery” but that is the “mindset that we need to change.”

“The more we innovate, the more we grow,” the PM added, claiming that the only way to overcome the ongoing energy crisis and give Britain a greener economy was to “make sure the UK is the most innovative economy in the world.”

He explained that Brexit must be used as a benefit, to ensure the UK’s regulatory system is “agile and pro-innovation.”

04 – SMEs call for more help amid “bleak” outlook

Small firms continue to struggle against “monumental” inflationary pressures and energy costs.

That’s according to a survey by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) which found that business confidence remains low, with only a third of small and medium companies reporting improvements to sales and less than a quarter reporting increased investment in 2022.

The BCC said more than a third of firms find it “difficult” to pay their energy bills even when they receive government support.

The business group suggests the outlook for businesses remains bleak.

The survey of more than 5,600 firms, 92% of whom are SMEs, also shows that inflation remains their top concern.

Following a meeting yesterday with the Chancellor on new energy support for businesses, BCC Director General Shevaun Haviland said: “Businesses have been desperate to learn if support for their energy bills will be extended beyond the April cliff-edge.

“An announcement in the coming days on the exact shape of the assistance cannot come soon enough for many, with thousands fearing closure if it is not extended.”

David Bharier, Head of Research at the BCC, said: “The situation remains critical for the majority of SMEs who find themselves cut adrift by monumental inflationary pressures, often driving triple-digit percentage cost increases, particularly on energy.”

05 – Britain’s national smart meter network grows 37% in 2022

UK’s smart metering network saw massive growth last year.

According to a new report by the Data Communications Company (DCC), Britain’s national smart meter network grew by over 6.3 million meters in 2022 – a 37% increase.

The DCC, which operates and maintains the network, said there was also a significant increase in the data carried across the network.

Nearly 12.1 billion messages were sent, up from 6.3 billion in 2021, a 91% increase.

Smart DCC Chief Executive Officer Angus Flett said: “It is great to see energy data increase at such pace – this information is allowing the grid to do more with less.

“Breaking the nation’s reliance on fossil fuels will help us avoid future energy crises and progress towards our net zero ambition.”

Our energy news is provided by https://www.energylivenews.com/