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UTILITY WEEK | 14Th - 20Th NovEmbEr 2014 | 15 Policy & Regulation ment on an integrated basis. This is funda- mental to delivering multiple outcomes for multiple benefits, through the interventions of different sectors working collaboratively. How far these partnerships are able to go is down to their enthusiasm, commitment and ingenuity. The consultation implicitly throws down the gauntlet to all sectors to explore the art of the possible, and to con- sider whether there might be other, cheaper options that would allow faster, more afford- able progress towards the environmental objectives. The water companies are critical part- ners in all this. They operate at a catchment scale – the only organisations to do so apart from the Environment Agency. They have the resources, innovation skills and commercial nous to help create more productive partner- ships. And, as Rob Scarrott pointed out in these pages (19-25 September 2014 edition), Indepen estimates that some £100 billion will be spent in catchments in England and Wales over the next 15 years on managing and insuring flood risk, improving the envi- ronment, farming subsidies and drinking water and wastewater treatment. It would be surprising, and disappointing, if there were no scope for greater efficiencies – and oppor- tunities – in that spend. It will be interesting to see how consult- ees respond. They can recognise the impact their sector has on the water environment, the actions they need to take to reduce it, and signal their commitment to work with others to find innovative solutions which will drive down the Environment Agency's cost estimates and increase the benefits. Or they can say it is all too difficult, and fail to rec- ognise the cost to society, the economy and their own business of an unhealthy water environment. Ian Barker, managing director, Water Policy International ENErgY Decc: more of bills will go on low- carbon subsidies The amount of money from energy bills going to support low-carbon generation will increase by 2020, according to Department of Energy and Climate Change. The annual energy state- ment from the government said £62 (4.5 per cent) of the current bill goes to support cleaner energy and keep- ing the lights on, and this increase to 10 per cent (£131) by 2020. rENEWabLES BG Group's MD to head new Oil And Gas Authority The managing director of BG Group's European exploration and production business will serve as the chief execu- tive of the UK's new Oil And Gas Authority from January 2015. Andy Samuel has signed on for a three-year tenure with the new regulator, which is tasked with maximising economic recovery from the UK's declining North Sea oil and gas fields by implement- ing the findings of the Wood Review on the future of the sector. rENEWabLES Public concern levels unchanged by tighter margins Only 49 per cent of people are concerned about power cuts becoming more frequent in the future, according to the latest Public Attitudes tracker survey from the Depart- ment of Energy and Climate Change. The concern remains at a similar level to that surveyed in June 2014 at 48 per cent, and is the lowest since the survey began. Briefs England has been divided into eight discrete river catchment areas, and the Environment Agency has conducted a detailed ap- praisal of measures that are technically and economically viable to improve the water environment in each