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UTILITY WEEK | 6Th - 12Th JUnE 2014 | 3 Leader Jillian Ambrose This week 4 | Seven days 6 | Opinion Brent Cheshire, UK country chairman, Dong Energy 8 | Interview Richard Lloyd, executive director, Which? 12 | Special report Electricity market liquidity 14 Policy & Regulation 14 | News Europe 'needs internal market' 15 | Market view Energy and politics don't mix 16 | Analysis Energy supplier responses to the CMA referral 19 Finance & Investment 19 | News UK losing renewables appeal 20 | Market view Water is still a good investment 20 | Analysis PR14 grinds on 22 Operations & Assets 22 | High viz Fecamp offshore windfarm 24 | Market view Funding AMP6 26 Customers 26 | News Regulation hits customer service 27 | Market view Digital switching 27 | Expert view WMS 28 Markets & Trading 28 | News Gas price plummets 31% from last year 30 Community 30 | Subscriber focus Shirley Campbell, Scottish Water 31 | Disconnector Energy sector drifts into the doldrums As far as mood music goes, the UK's biggest energy companies were probably hoping the soundtrack for the next two years would be a little more upbeat than what the upcoming CMA investigation is offering. Centrica was first in line to warn that the extensive investigation would put the brakes on investment at a time when the UK needs it most; going as far as to say that by the time the probe concludes, the UK could be plunged into darkness. But perhaps Centrica's increasingly hysterical rhetoric says more about the threat the investigation poses to Centrica rather than to the wider industry. In recent weeks a flurry of reports has listed the top brass expected to flee the company before the CMA even gives its verdict (lead story, p4). It's little wonder that analysts conclude that the good ship Centrica is "rudderless" and sailing through "increasingly choppy waters". Centrica is not alone, of course. As energy company responses to Ofgem's consultation on the CMA referral have come to light, so too have the battle-lines, which each has drawn in terms of both defence and attack (p16). Central to the debate is the call to end energy self-supply by sepa- rating those business units focused on generation with those tasked with supplying retail customers. Unsurprisingly, views on whether vertical integration is a help or hindrance depend on whether the company offering that view is or isn't. And the debate is nothing new. In terms of boosting wholesale market liquidity, traders have consistently called on Ofgem to limit energy self-supply because this would increase the amount of trading the big six would need to do in the open market. The generation side of the business would need to sell. The supply side of the business would need to buy. And potential new market entrants would have an easier time finding opportunity to take part too. It's strange, then, that Ofgem ignored these calls, to offer a differ- ent solution (p12); one with a price tag bigger than the impact it is expected to have, and which might well prove redundant once the CMA has had its way. Jillian Ambrose, News editor jillian.ambrose@fav-house.com GAS 19 | Stock watch Centrica 28 | News Gas price plummets 31% from last year WATER 14 | News Defra delays Suds implementation 20 | Market view Water companies are still a good investment 20 | Analysis PR14 grinds on 24 | Market view Funding AMP6 ELECTRICITY 7 | UW expert view nigel hawkins 12 | Special report Liquidity in the UK electricity market 19 | News UK losing renewables investment appeal 21 | Investor view Daniel Wong 22 | High viz Fecamp offshore windfarm 23 | Pipe up Maher Chebbo EnERGY 6 | Executive view Brent Cheshire, Dong 8 | Interview Richard Lloyd, executive director, Which? 14 | News Europe energy 'needs internal market' 15 | Market view Energy and politics don't mix 26 | News Regulation hits customer service 27 | Market view Digital switching Knowledge worth keeping Visit the Downloads section of Utility Week's website for special reports and exclusive research commissioned for the utilities industry. http://www.utilityweek.co.uk/downloads