Utility Week

6 | 21ST - 27TH JUNE 2019 | UTILITY WEEK Policy & Regulation This week Charging hubs spark London EV revolution Mayor also plans fast chargers on forecourts and online 'heat map' showing power constraints London mayor Sadiq Khan has revealed plans to build five "flagship" rapid electric vehicle (EV) charging hubs in the capital as part of a delivery plan for EV charging infrastructure. The first of the 50kW charg- ing stations, intended for use by high-mileage vehicles such as taxis, will be installed in the City of London by the end of 2019. The plan also includes the installation of ultrafast (100kW+) charging points in petrol stations, along with an online heat map to identify constraints on the local electricity network and a "one-stop-shop" for residents to request new infrastructure from their local authority. "To truly transform the quality of our air and to tackle the climate crisis London must move away from petrol and diesel cars, with their catastrophic impact on the environment, and towards zero-emission vehicles," said Khan. "To make this vision a reality we must make sure all Londoners have access to the essential infrastructure required to run and maintain an electric vehicle. This is a massive operation and can only be achieved if the public and private sector come together to deliver London's electric future." ChargePoint will provide the hardware and soŽware for at least one of the five rapid EV charging hubs. UK Power Networks chief executive Basil Scarsella said the company would enable at least five flagship rapid charging hubs in the next couple of years. The number of EVs on London's roads is expected to rise from around 20,000 today to 330,000 by 2025. TG ENERGY Ofgem should act before firms go bust Ofgem should not wait for sup- pliers to go bust before interven- ing through the supplier of last resort (SoLR) process, the chief executive of Robin Hood Energy has argued. Speaking on a panel at the Utility Week Energy Summit, Gail Scholes urged the regulator to take action sooner to prevent the costs of failure being spread across the industry. "I kind of think that we shouldn't even get to SoLR, because the industry actually knows a good six months before that an energy supplier is likely to get to that fire sale position," she explained. "They know because they've got a higher number of com- plaints. They've got failed bills. This isn't new news and there should be an intervention that is a lot sooner in the process." WATER Ofwat orders Tor to pay debts Ofwat has ordered Tor Water to pay any "outstanding and undisputed invoices" or state- ments to wholesalers aŽer it received a number of notifica- tions that the water retailer had not done so. In addition Tor Water must not provide any services to any new customers while it remains a defaulting trading party. Tor has until 28 June to pay the outstanding debt, thought to be in the region of £60,000, a figure which includes "at least" a month in advance charges. Tor Water said: "Our pain is with South West Water, which is not prepared to offer any further support to our small but growing business. "We are confident we will hit [the payment target] and it will be business as usual with no impact to any customer services along the way." South West Water said it has supported and continues to sup- port all of its retailers. WATER Light to chair water watchdog Robert Light has been appointed chair of the Consumer Council for Water (CCWater), and high on his agenda will be ensuring consumers' views shape the decisions of water companies, regulators and policymakers. Light said he is keen to see a "more resilient" water sector that reflects people's growing concern for the environment. The former Environment Agency board member succeeds Alan Lovell, whose term came to an end on 31 March. CCWater's South East chair Tony Redmond has been acting as interim chair since then. Khan wants London to 'lead the world' with EVs Political Agenda David Blackman "Net zero fast-track could yet hit Lords delay" It may seem strange that one of the most far-reaching moves that we will see in our lifetimes could be enacted without even a full- blown parliamentary debate. Soon-to-depart prime minis- ter Theresa May announced the 2050 net zero target last week, overriding the reservations of chancellor Philip Hammond. The target is being introduced through the tabling of a piece of secondary legislation known as a statutory instrument (SI). These can be passed much views are less clear cut among peers, where debates on climate change tend to be characterised by a more sceptical tone. The risk is that one of the committees could ask for more scrutiny of the SI, thus delaying its passage until the new Con- servative leader is in place. While all of the leadership candidates have signed up to net zero, they could be excused for wanting to take another look at a measure that will have big con- sequences for their time as PM. more quickly than bills, which require debates in both houses. In most cases, SIs automati- cally become law 40 days aŽer they have been tabled in parlia- ment. The last time that an SI was revoked under this process was in 1979. The adoption of the net zero goal looks done and dusted therefore. However, it could be a bit more complicated than first sight suggests. There are concerns that insuf- ficient parliamentary time exists to complete the process before May departs as prime minister. While opinion within the Commons is overwhelmingly in favour of the net zero goal,

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