UTILITY WEEK | JANUARY 2021 |
5
KNOWLEDGE WORTH KEEPING
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Utilities must hit
theground running
2020 le most of us feeling dog weary and desperate for downtime over
the festive break. But as 2021 dawns senior leaders in and around the
utilities sector had better limber up again quickly and be ready to hit the
ground running because the year is o to a • ying start. The following are
just a few of the items Utility Week has its eye on in the • rst weeks and
months of 2021.
1. The long-awaited Energy White Paper, published in December, may
have been quietly labelled a squib by many for failing to make any mean-
ingful change to investor con• dence in key areas for decarbonisation. But
one thing it was not thin on was the promise of plenty of further instal-
ments this year. The arguably content-light tome trailed a ra of follow-up
policy documents and consultations on topics from greenwashing and fuel
poverty to biomass and CCUS. Among the papers most keenly looked for,
and likely to be • rst out the door, will be the Heat and Buildings Strategy.
This promises to set out a suite of policy levers to incentivise consumers
and businesses to switch to low-carbon heating options.
2. The CMA's provisional determinations on the appeals of four water
companies against their PR19 settlements sparked a period of high drama
in the water sector and beyond. By mid-February, we've been promised the
department will reveal its • nal stance on the issues at stake, including the
hotly contested cost of equity adjustment proposed in its • rst pass. The
CMA's • nal decision may not conclude the theatrics, however, with the
potential for a legal challenge from Ofwat still in the o' ng.
3. The CMA's position on the water appeals will be keenly anticipated by
all those currently involved in the RIIO2 negotiations for gas networks,
power transmission and the system operator. Ofgem's • nal determina-
tions o ered companies across the board signi• cantly more generous price
control packages than those set out at dra stage. But from industry con-
versations, Utility Week understands the olive branch may not be enough
to deter a new round of CMA price control appeals, with companies still
eyeing the performance wedge within the cost of equity unhappily. Boards
will need to decide how they want to proceed before the end of February.
But before these events and the crescendo of the countdown to COP26
consume us, we keenly look forward to the opportunity to unite hundreds
of industry leaders, partners and in• uencers to the delayed but undeterred
ceremony for the Utility Week Awards 2020 on 8 February. Join us in a
digital celebration of the incredible achievements of the sector in the past
12 months.
Jane Gray, content director, janegray@fav-house.com
Meet the Editorial Team
Utility Week provides unrivalled news,
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excellence. Learn how Utility Week
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e: jonikiforov@fav-house.com;
t: 01342 332077
Content director: Jane Gray,
e: janegray@fav-house.com,
t: 01342 333004
Digital editor:
James Wallin,
e: jameswallin@fav-house.com;
t: 01342 332015
Intelligence editor:
Denise Chevin, e: denisechevin@
fav-house.com;
t: 01342 332087
Energy editor:
Tom Grimwood,
e: tomgrimwood@fav-house.com;
t: t: 01342 332061
Reporter:
Adam John
e: adamjohn@fav-house.com;
t: 01342 332069
Water correspondent:
Ruth Williams,
e: ruthwilliams@fav-house.com,
t: 01342 332069
Policy correspondent:
David Blackman,
e: davidblackman@fav-house.com
Letter from the Editor
Jane Gray
Tableau:
White Paper: 10 Best Practices for
Building Effective Dashboards
https://bit.ly/3iSb8vh
Fortinet:
Sponsored Technology
Securing ageing assets against
rising cyber threats
https://bit.ly/3dlhxxO
Panasonic
Toughbook:
Whitepaper: Rugged mobile
computing in action for utilities
https://bit.ly/3c3OA93
