Utility Week - authoritative, impartial and essential reading for senior people within utilities, regulators and government
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utILIty WeeK | 7th - 13th February 2014 | 5 Southern Water is spending £70,000 a day to keep its sewers from overflowing as the South East experiences the worst series of storms in more than a decade. A fleet of tankers and mobile pumps have been working around the clock after local drainage networks and flood defence systems were overwhelmed. Geoff Loader, director of communications, said: "When drainage systems and flood defences, which are the responsibility of other agencies, are unable to prevent flooding, our sewers are at risk." the amount by which a pilot energy efficiency project funded by the Low Carbon Networks Fund could cut energy bills, according to Southern electricity Power Distribution. 20% Price-coupling launch Day-ahead power prices covering three-quarters of Europe's power consumption will from this week be calculated in the same way and at the same time to increase the opportuni- ties for cheap electricity in one country to meet demand and reduce prices in another. The launch of so-called price-coupling in the North Western Europe (NWE) region completes a project undertaken by four power exchanges and 13 transmission system operators in the region. The power industry organisations behind it forecast that it will improve market liquidity and efficiency of access to transmission and establish transparent, market- based prices. Co-chair of the price-coupling project, Bente Hagem, said: "NWE will lead to considerable gains in social welfare." Good week, bad week... It was a bad week for tory politicians with a utilities bent, with both tim yeo and anne McIntosh deselected by their local parties. they follow Laura Sandys out the door (p8), and leave the eFra and eCC committees in search of a chair post-2015. Perhaps they can drive home in electric vehicles, which are on the up this week, following DPM Nick Clegg's support for a campaign to encour- age their take-up as one of the uK's 'most promising' green industries. Electric vehicle sales could rise as Nick Clegg backs a campaign to encourage their take-up. Conservative MPs Tim Yeo and Anne McIntosh have been deselected by their local parties. eNerGy eNerGy EDF plans coal upgrade EDF Energy is aiming to upgrade 3GW of coal power capacity to meet European legislation needed to stay open in the long term, it announced last week. The generator said it intends to keep open the 2GW Cottam plant and "at least" half of the 2GW West Burton A, which is classed as two plants for regulatory purposes. That will involve investing in kit to meet tighter air pollution limits under the Industrial Emissions Directive. EDF presented the optimistic picture despite entering both power stations onto a list of capacity set to close early. It put forward the stations for the limited life deroga- tion, which allows them to run for limited hours until 2023 without upgrading. However, in common with all generators, EDF has the option to change its mind until 1 January 2016. 3bn tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent – emissions 2008-12 UK hits first carbon target The UK has met its first carbon budget despite a greenhouse gas emissions bump in 2012, the Department of Energy and Climate Change announced on Tuesday. Emissions came in at 2,981.7 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in the period 2008-12, just under the cap of 3,018MtCO2e. The final figures for 2012 show emissions rose 3.2 per cent on 2011, however. Household emissions jumped 12.3 per cent, attributed to a cold winter and increased use of gas for heating. Energy sector emissions rose 5.9 per cent, driven by a 32 per cent increase in coal generation. Energy secretary Ed Davey said: "We have reached an important milestone today. The UK has met its first carbon budget, which is the first step in fulfilling our commitment to cut Britain's emissions by 80 per cent to 2050. eNerGy "An important milestone" Energy secretary Ed Davey