Utility Week - authoritative, impartial and essential reading for senior people within utilities, regulators and government
Issue link: https://fhpublishing.uberflip.com/i/1309237
UTILITY WEEK | DECEMBER 2020 | 7 The Month in Review Public 'backs infrastructure investment' Making the potential for job creation central to the argument for greater infrastructure spending is key to ensuring public support. This is the view of Lawrence Slade, chief executive of the Global Infrastructure Investors Association (GIIA), who spoke to Utility Week on the back of its poll on public attitudes towards infrastructure and investment. GIIA's survey, carried out by Ipsos Mori in the summer, found there is already a strong base of public support for infrastructure investment, with 83 per cent believ- ing it will create new jobs and boost the economy and only 2 per cent disagreeing with that statement. It also showed a significant increase in support for private investment if it helps Britain get the infrastructure it needs, with 65 per cent in favour (up 7 percentage points from 2019) and only 9 per cent opposed (down from 13 per cent in 2019). On the subject of foreign invest- ment, appetite appears to have dropped since 2019. In the latest survey, 42 per cent agreed they were "fine" with foreign investment in new infrastructure if it means it is better quality, versus 24 per cent who disagreed. This compares to 48 per cent and 20 per cent respec- tively in the previous year. The Global Infrastructure Index showed flood defences and solar energy infrastructure as the top priorities for investment along with rail (each chosen by 42 per cent of respondents). There was also an increase for wind energy and a significant hike for water supply and sewerage, with nuclear seeing a more modest uptick. CCW launches crusade to help the vulnerable Water watchdog CCW has launched a vulnerability mani- festo to raise household aware- ness of the assistance water companies can offer. The strategy has six key points to overcome the bar- riers that CCW says prevent some consumers accessing non-financial assistance such as the priority services register (PSR). It aims to: • Boost awareness of the PSR to 60 per cent, from 42 per cent currently, within five years and up to 75 per cent by 2030. • Transform the perception of communications between companies and customers to be viewed positively by 75 per cent of billpayers. • Provide information and support available to house- holders when they need it during a major incident. • Ensure support and services are accessible and inclusive to all billpayers with a goal of 95 per cent feeling satis- fied with the service. • Offer meaningful support to people registered for prior- ity services. • Encourage the whole sec- tor to play a role in keeping consumers safe and well via staff training in policy and safeguarding. CCW said 49 per cent of billpayers currently describe communication from their water company as good, which the consumer group wants to increase to 75 per cent by 2025. Language, literacy, culture and digital exclusion are cited as barriers to communication being understood. CCW chief executive Emma Clancy interview, p.27 CMA mulls extension to PR19 decision deadline The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is considering extending its timeframe to com- plete the final determinations for Anglian, Bristol, Northumbrian and Yorkshire in their appeals against Ofwat, Utility Week understands. Appellant companies may have to wait until February for a decision from the CMA on their business plans for 2020-25. The CMA refused to comment but Utility Week understands that while it is keeping the initial deadline of December in place, it is also open to pushing the pub- lication of its final determination back to February to allow for as robust a review as possible. Ofwat had criticised the regu- latory body for hurrying the pro- cess to complete by December instead of making full use of the time available. TERRE go-live delayed until 2021 Ofgem has granted a request by National Grid Electricity Sys- tem Operator (ESO) to delay its implementation of the Trans European Replacement Reserves Exchange (TERRE) until the beginning of next year. The go-live date was origi- nally due by 15 January 2020 but this was postponed to June. Work on the project was de-pri- oritised when the pandemic hit and ESO has now said it cannot hit the revised date of December. Ofgem granted the deroga- tion but criticised ESO's plan- ning and its level of stakeholder engagement. It called for a new implementation plan to be pre- pared as quickly as possible. The world's first blade walk by a robot on an offshore wind turbine has taken place at the Levenmouth Demonstration turbine off the coast of Fife. Over two days in October, the six-legged inspect-and-repair robot, made by BladeBUG repeatedly scaled blades at ORE Catapult's 7MW facility. 23,000 Customers of iSupply Energy who were blocked from switching over an eight-year period. Lawrence Slade, CEO, Global Infrastructure Investors Association