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UTILITY WEEK | 27TH NOVEMBER - 3RD DECEMBER 2015 | 21 construction plume monitoring, envi- ronmental monitoring and metocean studies. With two-way satellite communica- tions, the gliders can be deployed and controlled anywhere in the world, are highly weather resilient and have no environmental impact. If you have an asset or project you would like to see featured in this slot, email paul.newton@fav-house.com or call 01342 332085. Pipe up Jane Gray O n the eve of Amber Rudd's announcement on energy policy, the first in a three-part documen- tary giving insight into SSE's operations and the workings of the energy market was aired on BBC Four. SSE chief executive Alistair Phillips-Davies stole some of Rudd's thunder, acknowledging to the cameras on the day that he confirmed Ferrybridge power station will close in March 2016 that "the writing's on the wall for quite a lot of UK coal". His accurate forecast reflects the fact that, as we discuss on p7, there was much in the "reset" that was far from revelatory. Yet there is no doubt that our energy system is embroiled in a period of trans- formation that sees it struggling to address an unforgiv- ing trilemma against a backdrop of commonly apathetic and oen, angry and alienated, customers. A behind the scenes tour of SSE's business for the public is therefore timely and welcome. A similar initiative at United Utilities last year brought public understand- ing of the water industry and customer appreciation for the work of their "Watermen". Achieving a similar effect for the energy sector would be an important win in the mission to engage hearts and minds in the process – and associ- ated costs – of decarbonising our economy, particularly ahead of the smart meter rollout beginning next year. But is the documentary good enough to help with this mission? The first part highlighted the increasingly fragile margin between supply and demand, even touching on the mysteries of energy trading. It identified the rise of government intervention in energy markets with reference to the impact this has on energy company operations and it showed the personalities powering our power stations. Yet at the end of the hour, I couldn't help but feel that the overall impression of the challenges facing energy companies was somewhat misleading. As the footage moved between Ferrybridge and SSE's 500MW Greater Gabbard windfarm, the presenters seemed to be pitching a black and white argument: coal versus wind. At no point were the words "energy mix" used and there was no real representation of the trilemma, only repeated references to the challenge of "keeping the lights on". It's a lot to ask for a one-hour documentary to pro- vide a thorough and balanced interpretation of complex sectors while remaining entertaining and accessible. But I hope the next two instalments do a little more to define the bigger picture questions that surely drove the documentary to be commissioned in the first place. The final instalment of Power to the People will air on BBC Four at 9pm on Tuesday 1 December A behind the scenes tour for the public of SSE's business is timely, but needs to do more to win hearts and minds. Operations & Assets "At no point were the words 'energy mix' used and there was no real representation of the trilemma"