Utility Week

Community Temporary inconvenience It's a grim business being a UK citizen these days. It's not just that the news is all bad, it's that the news is all Brexit. You get the occasional royal baby or Strictly scandal, and then it's back to Brexit, where nothing actually happens but it does so in excruciating detail. So Disconnector is glad to be the bearer of some good news. Turns out climate change might not be that bad aer all, because although the planet might warm up a bit, it will soon "change back". At least that's the opinion of US prez Donald Trump. In an interview with US TV show 60 Minutes, he rolled back on claims on the campaign trail that climate change was a hoax, but he doubled down on accus- ing those who champion it of being "politically motivated". So there you have it: on the one hand you have all the so-called scientists, and on the other a billionaire famous for his short attention span and lack of attention to detail. Strange to say, but in the US, that makes the debate finely balanced. Painting by numbers As it happens, the 60 Minutes interview with the president was revealing in more ways than one because behind him on the wall of the Oval Office hung a painting depicting the great man himself (Trump, that is, not Disconnector) showing Donald sitting round a table laughing with a host of former Republican presidents, from Abraham Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt to Ronald Reagan and George Bush. It was widely assumed that Trump commissioned the painting, but in fact it was a gi from Republican Congress- man Darrell Issa. Otherwise Trump would probably have asked the artist to omit Richard Nixon, to be honest, whose presence haunts the current administration given the ongoing Mueller inquiry. However the artist, Andy Thomas, revealed that Trump called him to thank him per- sonally. "He made a comment that he'd seen a lot of paintings of himself and he rarely liked them," said Thomas. Hmmm. Disconnector can't help but observe that, apart from being appallingly kitsch, the painting does depict a noticeably buffer Donald Trump than the one we're used to seeing on podiums mocking disabled reporters. Ye gods If Donald Trump wants to secure his legacy, he should forget something as prosaic as a painting and be prepared to think big. For instance, he could fol- low the advice of his new best pal Kanye West, the American rap superstar who can outdo Trump himself when it comes to eccentricity and incoher- ence. On his recent visit to the White House, most reporters focused on his rambling, expletive-filled rant in praise of his Trumpness. What caught Disconnector's ear was Kayne's "gi": a photo of a plane he said Apple was building that the president should be flying in rather than Air Force One. "This right here is the iPlane1. It's a hydrogen- powered airplane. And this is what our president should be flying in," he said. Unfortunately, Kanye isn't a details guy either. The pic was one a student posted on the net six years ago; no actual plane exists. And the concept wasn't for it to be powered by hydro- gen. And Apple has no plans to build one. Which is a pity – it might have been ideal for Trump's proposed "space force". 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; 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; Production editor: Paul Newton, t: 01342 332085, e: paulnewton@fav-house.com; Business development manager: Ben Hammond, e: benhammond@fav-house.com. t: 01342 332116; Business development executive: Sarah Wood, e: sarahwood@ fav-house.com. t: 01342 332117 Conference sponsorship manager: Sophie Abbott, t: 01342 332062, e: sophieabbott@ 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. 2,500 Average circulation Jan–Dec 2017 Membership subscriptions: UK £769+VAT 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 | 19TH - 25TH OCTOBER 2018 | 31 Duncan Carter @Duncan_E_Carter Another supplier bites the dust. @ofgem claims it "protects Usio Energy customers' supplies and credit balances"...yes, but ultimately credit balances are protected by other customers, as cost of failure is socialised. Should consumers underwrite risky businesses? William Marchant @richonlyinname It's unlikely that Usio will be the last energy supplier to fail this year. Whether through SoLR, or more orderly exit paths like trade sale, I'd expect others will follow. It's a crowded market, with too many lacking the deep pockets &/or USP needed to survive. Matthew Knight @SoutherlyBreeze "What we today call the 'low carbon economy' will in the future simply be 'the economy'." - Business Secretary Greg Clark Rebecca Long-Bailey @RLong_Bailey The government has written to the Committee on Climate Change to ask for their advice on reducing emissions to #netzero. But there's a catch - the government is effectively ruling out any additional action on #climatechange before 2032! #GreenGB Jonny Marshall @JMarshall_ECIU UK Government releases response to @theCCCuk progress report, hints at changes to renewable energy auctions that could see onshore wind and solar make a comeback Nick Molho @NickMolho Important point by @theCCCuk Vice Chair Baroness Brown: whilst clearly important, developing a #netzero target must not detract attention from the fact that we need more policy ambition to meet existing #climate targets. Essential pre-condition to increasing ambition #IPCC Léonie Greene #FBPE @LeonieGreene 2 mentions of #solar in @beisgovuk Delivering Clean Growth progress report (1 cites @theCCCuk). Reminder solar is Britain's most popular source of energy, one of cheapest & at heart of clean, smart energy system. We don't need subsidy. We URGENTLY need fair treatment. #Fair4Solar Top Tweets

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