Utility Week

Community Raking over old coals… again US president Donald Trump is still banging on about the ben- efits of "good clean coal" in the run-up to his visit to the UK. Speaking at a charity dinner for veterans last week in West Virginia, the "combover-in- chief " even went as far as to say coal is the best source of energy because it is bomb- proof. No, really – he did. "You know, you bomb a pipeline, that's the end of the pipeline. With coal, that stuff is indestructible," he reportedly said. "You can move it around on a truck, you can dump it at the plant, you can do whatever the hell — you can rain on top of it for a long time," he continued. "It can rain like crazy. You can do whatever you want — snow, sleet, wind. You just dump it. It's there. You hit those pipelines, they're gone, and that's the end of it." Now before any readers go out to buy a bomb shelter made out of coal, it should be pointed out that for all its wondrous qualities, coal is definitely not indestructible. Only last weekend, Disconnector managed to single-handedly destroy 5kg of barbecue briquettes armed with nothing more than a copy of the Sunday Times, a box of matches and a bottle of Old Peculier. The potato salad brought round by the great man's neighbour was unfortunately much harder to crack. Up the creek for a paddle As Utility Week went to press, the country was still in the grip of a heatwave, which has sent demand for water soaring as everyone tries to keep cool. The prospect of a hosepipe ban in parts of the country is growing by the day and utility companies are appealing for households not to waste water. The environmental charity Hubbub has joined the calls aer warning that around 3.9 billion litres of water was wasted in homes across the UK last weekend to fill cheap giant-sized paddling pools. According to Hubbub, the average paddling pool now requires a staggering 530 litres of water to fill, which is more than three times the daily amount of water usually needed for one person. Readers will no doubt be pleased to know that chez Dis- connector remains a paddling pool free zone. Although if any brewers would like to send him 530 litres of "water" (preferably Old Peculier), then do please get in touch. Green energy getting greener? Disconnector likes to think that he keeps up with the times. Only last week, he tried a Double IPA infused with mango juice, and it was all right, if you like that kind of thing. But as much as the great man tries to be a modern one, he will have to concede that the recent announcement by Ecotricity that it now supplies vegan electricity has got him scratching his head. According to the green energy supplier's press release, the practice of using animal by-products and even dead animals to make electricity and gas in Britain is "widespread". "It's a relatively well-kept secret, typically disclosed only in regulatory materials," the press release goes on to say. Disconnector has written many news stories on energy supply and has to admit this is uncharted territory for him, but he is prepared to give the publicity-shy Ecotricity the benefit of the doubt this one time and commend it for championing this noble cause. But something tells Discon- nector it can only be a matter of time before a press release lands on his desk announcing that an energy company is now offering customers gluten-free electricity as well. Disconnector Publishing director, Utilities: Ellen Bennett, t: 01342 332084, e: ellenbennett@fav-house.com; Acting editor: Suzanne Heneghan, t: 01342 332106, e: suzanneheneghan@fav-house.com Acting content director: Denise Chevin, 01342 332087, denisechevin@fav-house.com; Deputy editor: Jane Gray (maternity leave); Features editor: Lois Vallely, t: 01342 332080, e: loisvallely@fav-house.com; News editor: Katey Pigden, t: 01342 332082, e: kateypigden@ fav-house.com; Content editor: Alice Cooke, t: 01342 332102, e: alicecooke@fav-house.com; Energy correspondent: Tom Grimwood, t: 01342 332061, e: tomgrimwood@fav-house.com; Policy correspondent: David Blackman, e: davidblackman@fav-house.com; Reporter: Adam John, t: 01342 332069, e: adamjohn@fav-house.com; Business development manager: Ben Hammond, e: benhammond@fav-house.com. t: 01342 332116; Conference sponsorship manager: Sophie Abbott, t: 01342 332062, e: sophieabbott@fav-house.com; Publisher: Amanda Barnes, e: amandabarnes@fav-house.com. General enquiries: 01342 332000; Membership enquiries: Peter Bissell, t: 01342 332057, e: peterbissell@fav-house.com. ISSN: 1356-5532. Registered as a newspaper at the Post Office. Printed by: Buxton Press, Buxton, Derbyshire SK17 6AE. 2,500 Average circulation Jan–Dec 2017 Membership subscriptions: UK £669 per year. Overseas £781 per year. Contact Peter Bissell on: 01342 332057 Utility Week is a member of the Independent Press Standards Organisation (which regulates the UK's magazine and newspaper industry). We abide by the Editors' Code of Practice and are committed to upholding the highest standards of journalism. If you think that we have not met those standards and want to make a complaint please contact the publishing director, Ellen Bennett, at ellenbennett@fav-house.com. If we are unable to resolve your complaint, or if you would like more information about IPSO or the Editors' Code, contact IPSO on 0300 123 2220 or visit www.ipso.co.uk UTILITY WEEK | 13TH - 19TH JULY 2018 | 31 Jonny Marshall @JMarshall_ECIU First scan of UK capacity market update looks like a win for the generator lobby. Harsher treatment of batteries and interconnectors, greater chance of new gas in 2022/23 auction and locking in high-carbon infrastructure for decades afterwards. Tom Steward @Steward_T Ofgem to allow renewables into the #capacitymarket. This won't mean they're treated equally. The CM is designed to prop up the old regime of fossil fuels. Like letting a cat compete in a sheepdog trial - cats great at some things, but behaving like dogs isn't one of them. Thomas Edwards @NotionalGrid Jul 9 Looking at the stuff that could take part in the T-1 auction things look oversupplied again, even without the coal (Fiddlers & West Burton) there is enough with T-4 agreements CCGTs and Interconnectors to fill out the 4.6GW William Marchant @richonlyinname Jul 5 Turns out that if it's less demanding to get an energy supply licence than a gym membership, some of the people who get into the market won't know what they're doing. Duncan Carter @Duncan_E_Carter Jul 3 Government consults (again) on SMETS1 end date. This is the 5th extension to the end date. In July 2015 the SMETS1 end date was August 2017. In December 2015 it moved to October 2017; in August 2017, it was July 2018. In January 2018 it was October 2018 Matt Finch @mattfinch00 Oh look! Another whole day without #coal! Move on though - nothing out of the ordinary here now (no way I could have said that even a year ago!) Andrew AdonisVerified account @ Andrew_Adonis Excellent report by National Infrastructure Commission proposing switch of investment to renewable energy & away from v expensive & problematic new nuclear power stations. Like Sir John Armitt, my successor as chair, I've changed my view in face of the evidence @NatInfraCom Top Tweets

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