Utility Week

UTILITY WEEK | 29TH NOVEMBER - 5TH DECEMBER 2019 | 13 Election 2019 T he government's com- mitment to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050 has major implications for industry and society. With over a quarter of all UK carbon dioxide emissions currently attributed to the energy sector (the second highest source of emissions a• er transport), it's clear that signi€ cant changes will have to take place within the next three decades in terms of how we produce energy, as well as how it is delivered and used. Renewable energy has taken o… in recent years. Tumbling costs have meant we now get around 30 per cent of our energy from wind turbines, solar panels, bioenergy and hydropower. Renewables will clearly have an even greater role in coming years, as will energy-from-waste (EfW) plants that divert waste from land€ ll and help local com- munities gain electricity and heat from a local, sustainable source. Operating three EfW plants in England, we under- stand the valuable role they play and appreciate why plans for the construction of many more are being planned across the UK. We continue to see rapid growth in connections of renewable supplies to existing networks as many of the large energy suppliers take a tar- geted approach to improving energy e‰ ciency. Amey is sup- porting these e… orts through its design and construction capabilities on such projects as Tomatin in Inverness, which will enable SSEN Transmis- sion to connect new renewable energy to their high voltage transmission system. However, there is still much more to be learnt about the way we produce and transmit renewable sources of energy. Our teams continue to sup- port clients in their aim to bring technical innovation on to the national electricity transmission network. The team has been working closely with National Grid on the design and construction of an electrical asset-testing facility in Deeside. Centres such as this will be fundamental in developing and managing the increasing demand for wind and solar power and will allow for the research and develop- ment of new unconventional technologies and practices, thereby accelerating innova- tion in this area. The lion's share of our electricity is still produced by large, centralised power sta- tions. Many experts see a move away from these as smaller, nimbler, decentralised sources of energy proliferate across the UK. Our utilities busi- ness is exploring how we can create these localised power grids, while working with our consulting team to ensure existing energy assets perform as reliably as possible – using data to determine when and how we intervene in the main- tenance of these assets. There are many moving parts in the energy sector at present. Much of this is driven by our commitment to reduc- ing greenhouse gas emissions but it is also about the rapid need for innovation. While the energy landscape continues to transform, at Amey we € nd ourselves in a privileged posi- tion of implementing much of the change that everyone is expecting to see. Visit: amey.co.uk EXPERT VIEW GORDON ALLAN, BUSINESS DIRECTOR, POWER, AMEY Delivering key changes across the transforming energy landscape Comment "Smart meters should be a key tool in the fi ght against climate change, but instead they have become a symbol of public mistrust" A s part of Utility Week's 2019 general election manifesto, we called on the government to make smart meters mandatory. Here we explain our position on the rollout. Our manifesto pledge: We believe smart meters should be mandatory in energy retail; regulators should be supported to act for the long term rather than pursuing populist measures; and provisions for open data must be made. The government has to take its share of responsibil- ity for the failings in the smart meter rollout programme and stop allowing the false narrative that it is entirely down to energy suppliers. Extending the scheme to 2024 will do nothing to solve the fundamental problems that remain. The clear answer is to make smart meters mandatory and work with the industry to promote their bene€ ts and place within the net-zero journey. Smart meters should be a key tool in the € ght against climate change, but instead they have become a symbol of public mistrust. Technical problems and an over- ambitious deadline, coupled with a negative mainstream press, have obscured the real bene€ ts of the technology. Research commissioned recently by Energy UK has found that only 68 per cent of premises are likely to have a smart meter installed by 2024. In its response to a government consultation on a smart meter policy frame- work post 2020, the trade body proposed measures such as introducing building regulations requiring all new properties to have smart meters installed – a measure we support. Compulsory installations are not a new phenomenon in Europe; the government should look to countries such as Italy, where the devices became mandatory in 2006. Today, more than 99 per cent of meters installed in Italy are electronic. According to the latest € gures from BEIS, just 14.9 million smart and advanced meters are in use in the UK. Ofgem should focus on promoting the bene€ ts of the devices and winning the trust of consumers, rather than levying € nes on providers that do not meet its require- ments. We believe this, along with better government communication, will drive the acceptance of smart. Utility Week's Election 2019 Manifesto • Empower utilities to deliver net zero by 2050 • Help utilities to forge a new social contract with the public • Protect investment in the delivery of lifeline services • Foster innovation to stimulate a thriving green economy Adam John

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