Utility Week

4 | 21ST - 27TH FEBRUARY 2020 | UTILITY WEEK Seven days... EDF to apply for £16bn nuclear power plant EDF is poised to submit a formal planning application to build a £16 billion nuclear power station at Sizewell in Suffolk. The French electricity giant is putting the final touches to the paperwork for a development consent order for the new station, Sizewell C, from Britain's Planning Inspectorate, the final stage in the planning process. If approved, it will include two EPR reactors – making it an identical twin of another plant under construction at Hinkley Point in Somerset. It will generate 7 per cent of the UK's electricity, enough to power six million UK homes. The Daily Telegraph Scottish Power offers totally green tariff Scottish Power is launching a tariff in which it guarantees that 100 per cent of the electricity will come from its own renewable energy projects, to mark it out from so-called "green- washing" energy deals that are not as clean as they seem. Consumer group Which? found that many suppliers are misleading eco-conscious customers by claim- ing to offer renewable energy tariffs without ever investing in renewable energy projects. The Guardian British Gas scraps rise in prepay top-ups British Gas has scrapped an increase in the minimum top-up amount for its prepay energy meters a–er a public outcry. More than 90,000 people signed a petition calling for the UK's big- gest energy supplier to reverse its decision to raise the minimum top- up amount from £1 to £5, which was put in place on 1 January this year. British Gas claimed "aim of this move was to keep our costs down in order to offer our customers the best value". The Guardian Press roundup EA begins prosecution case against Southern Water S outhern Water repre- sentatives have appeared at Maidstone Magistrates' Court for the prosecution case brought by the Environment Agency to answer 51 charges relating to more than 8,000 sewage breaches between 2010 and 2015. The charges include 46 counts of contravening the requirements of an environ- mental permit and five charges of causing poisonous/noxious/ polluting matter/waste to enter controlled waters. The company, which entered no plea, will attend the next hearing on 11 March at Maidstone Crown Court. In a statement, Southern said it "will be as open and transpar- ent as possible" and is commit- ted to "cooperating to ensure a speedy conclusion and resolu- tion of the case". The statement added that chief executive Ian McAulay had driven thorough internal reviews of its wastewater business and was now leading a major trans- formation programme. Following an investiga- tion by Ofwat, the company was informed of the separate impending criminal proceedings by the EA in June 2019. Ofwat fined Southern £123 million for non-compliance in its sampling processes and sample reporting. In October, the company was ordered to pay the amount in penalties and customer rebates following the regulator's investigation into the company. Southern also committed to stop any performance-related bonuses for wastewater compli- ance if it fails to meet its relevant performance commitments; also it must provide greater transpar- ency around environmental per- formance – including pollution incidents and reporting. McAulay, who joined the company in 2017, previously told Utility Week that discovering the extent of the problem was his darkest week. He has separated out water and wastewater opera- tions and introduced stricter con- trols as well as appointing a risk and compliance director. RW "Whatever their other difficulties, there is a determination to make this a success" Minister for the Cabinet Office Michael Gove tells the Green Alliance conference in London that the COP26 meeting in Glasgow will be a genuine success. Claire Perry O'Neill was sacked as chair of COP26 at the end of January and a successor has yet to be found. Both David Cameron and William Hague turned down the job. STORY BY NUMBERS Community energy potential A report by WPI Economics, com- missioned by SP Energy Networks, has attempted to put hard figures on the potential of community energy schemes to benefit the country. 5.3GW Amount of renewable generation schemes could provide by 2030. 350 Number of community energy groups today. 4,000 Estimated number they could rise to by 2030. 8,000 Number of jobs the boom could create. £1.8bn Potential value to local economies.

• Cover