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4 | 22nd - 28th January 2016 | utILIty WEEK National media UK is the strongest for clean energy the uK was the strongest clean energy investment market in Europe in 2015, with an increase of 24 per cent, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance. $23.4bn Investment by the uK in clean energy in 2015. $5.2bn Estimated cost of two offshore wind arrays in the north Sea. $10.6bn Germany's clean energy investment. $2.9bn French investment in clean energy, down 53 per cent. $328.9bn Global investment in clean energy in 2015. Colorado fuels fleet vehicles with sewage The Persigo wastewater treatment plant in Colorado is processing eight million gallons of human waste through anaerobic digestion into renewable natural gas (RNG), or biomethane. The RNG is used to fuel refuse trucks, street sweepers, dump trucks and buses – a total of about 40 fleet vehicles. Experts claim the fleet may be "reducing greenhouse gases by as much as 60 to 80 per cent". The Guardian, 16 January Australia begins trial of solar batteries Australia's first solar battery stor- age system from Tesla has been installed as it begins a year-long trial into how it can reward consum- ers who cut their reliance on the electricity grid. A government-owned power company in Queensland, Energex, has installed the Tesla Powerwall at its Brisbane training facility and will collect data to work out how to integrate solar batteries into the network with financial incentives for customers. The commercial release of the Powerwall this year is expected to drive take-up of the system, which has the potential to supply seven hours of power at night. The Guardian, 18 January Water in Michigan has lead contamination US president Barack Obama has declared a state of emergency in Flint, Michigan, where the water has become contaminated with lead. The city's water became con- taminated aer a change of supplier caused corrosive water to leach lead from old pipes into the water supply. The city switched its water source from the city of Detroit to the Flint River in 2014, but has since switched back to Detroit's water. BBC, 17 January story by NUMbErs Government reveals fuel poverty plan post-Eco Seven days... T he government will tackle fuel poverty with a new energy efficiency scheme, including a supplier obligation costing around £640 million, energy minister Lord Bourne told MPs this week. The under-secretary of state for the Department of Energy and Climate Change (Decc), said energy efficiency measures in the wake of the Green Deal and the Energy Company Obligation (Eco) would be "centric to fuel poverty". He told a meeting of the Energy and Climate Change committee that detailed plans for a single scheme to replace the Green Deal and Eco would not be set out until 2018, with a focus on "how we recast Eco". He did not comment on how more affluent householders would be encouraged to improve energy efficiency – a key aim of the now defunct Green Deal. Bourne said once Eco comes to a close in 2017, there will be a transitional year before an announcement about how it will be carried on, "likely by spring" the following year. He said: "We are aiming to tackle the severe fuel poor first. We are also hoping to have access to more data by then… Households that can be identified as fuel poor will be prioritised – Ofgem will control that on our behalf." He added: "One element of the current Eco is very much focused on the fuel poor, but the other two are much more open." Roughly £1.2 billion a year will be needed to meet the gov- ernment's current fuel poverty target, with a new supplier obligation costing around £640 million and the Warm Home Discount Scheme totalling around £320 million, in addi- tion to various other smaller schemes. Lord Bourne said he was "quietly confident that the targets will be met". SJ "We really should be seeing bigger retail cuts than we have seen so far" Ofgem chief executive Dermot Nolan joins the growing calls for energy retailers to cut prices. £11bn the price bidders could pay for a majority stake in four of national Grid's gas distribution businesses. analysis, p19.