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UTILITY Week 9th October 2015

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4 | 9TH - 15TH OCTOBER 2015 | UTILITY WEEK National media Business energy supply market grows New entrants to the business energy supply market have taken the total number of suppliers to 39, Cornwall Energy has revealed for Energy UK. 7 energy firms have joined the supply market since 30 April 2015 24 companies supply both gas and electricity 1 Only First Util- ity has left the business market to focus on its domestic busi- ness 75.9% big six domestic suppliers' share of business electricity market 19.3% big six domestic suppliers' share of business gas market World's energy systems at risk from global warming The world's energy infrastructure is at risk from the extreme weather expected to result from climate change, a report from the World Energy Council has warned. Energy systems, including fossil fuel power stations, distribution grids and the networks that reach to people's homes, are all at risk from effects such as flooding, severe storms and sea level rises. The Guardian, 1 October India pledges clean- energy push in UN climate submission India pledged to slow the rise of greenhouse gases produced by its growing economy and to rapidly build up clean-energy sources, becoming the last major country to submit its plan for tackling global warming emissions. In a plan filed to the United Nations, India said it would reduce its "emissions intensity" – the amount of pollution released for each unit of economic growth – by 33 to 35 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030. Bloomberg, 1 October EU energy trade data may swamp regulator European Union energy trade regu- lation to crack down on suspected abuse in power and gas markets could be undermined by a lack of clear guidance and the volume of data that could swamp the regulator. The EU's Regulation on Energy Market Integrity and Transparency already makes energy generators publish information related to changes in production, but from 7 October, firms or individuals will have to report all contracts and or- ders in EU wholesale electricity and gas markets that are admitted to trading on organised marketplaces. Reuters, 2 October STORY BY NUMBERS T he UK's energy system loses over half of its gener- ated power from source to end user at a cost of £9.5 billion a year, making it one of the least efficient grids in Europe. The new findings come amid growing calls for the government to address the UK's "energy productivity" as a more cost-effective way of tackling the energy trilemma of supply, cost and decarbonisation. The research – led by the Association for Decentralised Energy (ADE) – found that £3 billion of energy could be saved if action was taken, which could cut consumer electricity bills by £116 a year. ADE chief executive Tim Rotheray urged the government to focus on how it could support investment in cutting energy waste, saying the unnecessary impact on consumer bills was a "national embarrassment". "Wasted energy reduces our productivity, undermines efforts to create a competitive economy on a global level and causes unnecessary emissions," he said. Addressing energy waste would require a fresh approach to power generation, transmis- sion and distribution, and energy efficiency in homes and businesses, the report said. Recovering heat from power stations could save £2 billion a year alone, but currently only 10 per cent of power plants do so. In terms of network effi- ciency, the UK lags behind competing European economies, including Germany and Den- mark. While the UK loses almost 8 per cent of its energy through transmission and distribution, Denmark loses just over 7 per cent and Germany 3.9 per cent. "If UK transmission and dis- tribution losses were equivalent to those in Germany, the best in Europe, energy users would save £605 million a year, the equiva- lent of £23 per household," the report said. The UK's regulated networks are required to reduce losses by Ofgem, which can reward network companies by up to £32 million over the next five years. But the report notes that the UK's capacity market is funded by almost £1 billion, dwarfing the government's efforts to tackle energy waste. JA UK's energy system loses 54 per cent of generation Seven days... "…culture of denial…" A new report from think tank Chatham House has found that nuclear operators are failing to protect themselves against cyber attacks.

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