Utility Week

4 | 6TH - 12TH SEPTEMBER 2019 | UTILITY WEEK Seven days... Trump's methane policy divides sector The Trump administration's move to roll back methane-emissions rules has divided the oil and gas sector. Contradictory voices quickly emerged between those who supported the move as a boon to domestic energy production and others who viewed it as a counter- productive measure that would sully the reputation of natural gas as a clean fuel. Global oil and gas companies gen- erally distanced themselves from the administration decision, while smaller domestic companies that are struggling to make a profit at a time of low oil and gas prices said they supported the rollback. The New York Times, 29 August Germany's low-carbon future will cost The prospect of a recession in Ger- many has brought back into focus the Energiewende – the country's plan for transition to a low-carbon economy, as the country's once all-powerful industrial base begins to shrink. German energy demand contin- ues to fall. A•er a 3 per cent decline last year, the first few months of 2019 saw a further reduction. With a recession looming, the expectation must be that demand will fall even further. Financial Times, 2 September Nuclear power in Australia 'not realistic' It will be about a decade before it is clear whether small nuclear reactors are suitable for Australia and it would take about 15 years to bring a plant online if a decision was made to build one, one of the country's leading experts has said. Ziggy Switkowski, who headed a 2006 review of nuclear power, said the technology had no chance of being introduced unless Australia had a coherent energy policy. The Guardian, 29 August Around the world Javid 'must commit £42bn to tackle climate change' T he chancellor of the exchequer has been urged by a coalition of non- governmental organisations (NGOs) to double spending on tackling climate change, raising it to a similar level as defence and secondary education. Fi•een groups, ranging from Amnesty International and Greenpeace to Friends of the Earth and the National Federa- tion of Women's Institutes, have signed a joint letter calling on Sajid Javid to increase invest- ment in climate change and the environment to at least £42 billion a year in this week's spending review. The Treasury said the review (due as Utility Week went to press) would set out government spending for the next year, fuel- ling speculation that a general election will take place this autumn. The £42 billion figure, which equates to around 5 per cent of total government spending, is the "absolute minimum" required to meet the net zero emissions target of 2050, the NGOs say. They say that much of the extra spending could be found by phasing out fossil fuel subsi- dies, which are worth £10 billion a year, and redirecting funds from high-carbon projects such as road building and the expan- sion of Heathrow airport, which will make it more difficult to hit the net zero target. Revenues could also be raised by introducing new taxes such as a frequent flyer levy, they suggest. The biggest chunk of the additional spending would be a more than fivefold increase in support for the transition to a low-carbon transport system, to £14.3 billion a year. Other items include a near tripling of the £1.1 billion cur- rently invested in low-carbon heating and an additional £1 bil- lion of public capital on top of the existing energy efficiency budget, which the NGOs predict would leverage a further £3.5 bil- lion of private investment. DB "EVs have real potential to reduce our carbon footprint and help meet our net zero carbon ambitions – despite some speculation about how clean they really are." Iain Staffell, Imperial College London, says it's impossible for EVs to be dirtier than petrol or diesel vehicles. STORY BY NUMBERS Heat pump trial BEIS is inviting bids for £16.5 million of contracts for the management and delivery of a new heat pump trial. 750 homes will have the devices installed. 1,800 properties were surveyed for their suitability. 3 regional delivery contractors will be appointed by BEIS, as well as a management contractor and an evaluation contractor. Utility Week Awards extension The deadline for entering this year's Utility Week Awards has been extended by a fortnight to 20 September. Visit: utilityweek awards.co.uk See Awards, p22

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