Utility Week

UTILITY WEEK | 5TH - 11TH OCTOBER 2018 | 3 This week 4 | Seven days 6 | Inside story CCWater's latest report on customer complaints to water companies 11 Policy & Regulation 11 | News Corbyn promises a 'green jobs revolution' 12 | Soapbox Ellen Rees, We Own It 13 | Market view Ofwat's WaterworCX will ensure bad service costs money 14 | Market view Is the capacity mechanism fit for purpose? 15 Finance & Investment 15 | News Grid cleared to spend £111m on gas pipeline 16 | Analysis The rise of renewables and the demise of fossil fuels 18 Operations & Assets 18 | High viz EDF's Hinkley Point C two years into construction 19 | Market view Setting standards in energy retail 20 | Q&A Nicola Shaw, executive director, National Grid 21 | Chief executive's view Paul Massara, Electron 22 | Analysis The ENA has published its future 'world' scenarios 27 Customers 27 | News Four suppliers face complaints scrutiny 28 | Event Gentrack roundtable 30 Community 31 | Disconnector GAS 19 | Market view Setting standards in energy retail WATER 6 | Inside story CCWater's latest report on customer complaints to water companies 11 | News Companies submit improvement plans 13 | Soapbox Ellen Rees, We Own It 13 | Market view Ofwat's WaterworCX will ensure bad service costs money ELECTRICITY 14 | Market view Is the capacity mechanism fit for purpose? 18 | High viz EDF's Hinkley Point C two years into construction 20 | Q&A Nicola Shaw, executive director, National Grid 21 | Chief executive's view Paul Massara, Electron 22 | Analysis The ENA has published its future 'world' scenarios ENERGY 11 | News May signs UK up to net-zero coalition 28 | Event Gentrack roundtable Brexit looms large for utility planning L ast week nationalisation, this week Brexit. The past few days have been a rollercoaster ride for utilities trying to plan for the future. As political, economic and regulatory uncertainty reign, decision-making on the "day job" commitments, plus planning for the myriad industry changes up ahead, is becoming increasingly difficult. Sadly, it doesn't look like getting easier any time soon. While politicians, this week being the Conservatives' turn for a party conference, make pronouncements from on high, the sector's chief executives are struggling to work out what the political froth and photo opportunities mean for them. How much surety can be guaranteed for their mid or long-term plans? At just six months away from the UK potentially crashing out of the EU without a deal, you can forgive them for beginning to feel edgy. While the clock ticks on the Westminster versus EU stalemate, those at the business end are striving to prepare their own structures for whatever eventually transpires. I reminded one energy chief executive recently that just two years ago he had been largely unperturbed at the prospect of Brexit, to which – quick as a shot – he replied: "Well, I am now." It's a mood likely to be playing out across many utility board- rooms as the potential ramifications start to rack up. Because, as that same chief executive pointed out, whether good news or bad there will be an impact for utilities. The big unknown is the pace of the economy aer March 2019. A buoyant landscape following our EU exit could see more gov- ernment money available for infrastructure projects, and rising consumer demand, sparked by a rapid uptake in EVs for instance. Things will start to move fast. If things go the other way, the pace will slow. Either way, for those charged with delivering lifeline services, driving through major change and attracting millions of pounds of investment from global markets, it is a huge planning challenge. Utilities are no strangers to the difficulties of looking 15 or 20 years ahead, but today's unknowns are exceptional. The stakes are rising sharply each month and, while there is certainly no suggestion of any panic yet, it remains unsettling. Politicians, of all colours, are failing utilities the longer this state of affairs prevails. Suzanne Heneghan, acting editor, suzanneheneghan@fav-house.com Leader Suzanne Heneghan Talend: Sponsored Free Water Case Study: optimising water supplies https://bit.ly/2CEQQpf IFS: Sponsored report: Getting Ahead in the Diversifying Energy Market https://bit.ly/2MXkFkI Unify: Sponsored Free Water Case Study: Transform CX and deliver exceptional omnichannel experiences https://bit.ly/2CEQQpf

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