Utility Week

4 | 24th - 30th June 2016 | utILItY WeeK The outlook for power generation in the UK By 2028 it will be cheaper to generate power in Britain by building a new windfarm than turning on an existing gas-fired plant, according to Bloomberg new energy Finance's annual outlook. 2033 the year when new-build utility- scale solar will overtake existing gas. $186bn Investment in the uK's generating capacity between now and 2040. 77% Proportion that will be spent on renewables. $56bn Spending on "une- conomic" nuclear and offshore wind capacity. 25% Small-scale solar's share of total capacity by 2040. sTory by NUMbErs UK ready for independent system operator – ECCC Seven days... T he Energy and Climate Change Committee (ECCC) has called for the system operator (SO) role to be removed from National Grid "as soon as possible" to avoid conflicts of interest that would undermine the development of low-carbon infrastructure. In its Low Carbon Infra- structure report, the ECCC said that despite "strong efforts by National Grid… and Ofgem" the potential for conflicts of interest is "intractable and growing". ECCC chair Angus MacNeil said: "The independent SO model has worked in the US. It is time for it to be brought to these shores." The ECCC said the government should set out its intentions for an ISO "as soon as possible" to avoid uncertainty in the energy sector. It also called for National Grid's "considerable technical expertise" to be retained. The ECCC has identified two potential areas of conflict for National Grid between its SO role and other businesses – unnecessary asset development and unfairly advantaging inter- connectors – which the ECCC said could "dilute other efforts" of moving to a low carbon infra- structure. However, Ofgem said these conflicts of interest "can be managed at the minute". The National Infrastructure Commission concluded earlier this year that there is no evi- dence the SO has not acted in the interests of consumers and said the transition to an ISO should not be an immediate priority. National Grid said: "We take very seriously the need to provide confidence that any potential conflicts of interest are handled correctly." It also warned that there is "little evidence" that an ISO model would provide any ben- efits that would justify the cost to households, potential disrup- tion to the energy sector and risk to security of supply. LD "What I think we need to do more of in Europe is, first, interconnection" EDF's chief executive Jean-Bernard Levy, speaking at an industry conference in Paris, said increased interconnection is key to improving the efficiency of European energy generation assets. National media Solar Impulse 2 to cross Atlantic the sun-powered Solar Impulse 2 aircraft set off from new York's JFK airport early on Monday, embarking on the transatlantic leg of its record-breaking flight around the world to promote renewable energy. The flight, piloted by Swiss adventurer Bertrand Piccard, is expected to take about 90 hours – during which Piccard will only take short naps – before landing at Spain's Seville airport. The Guardian, 20 June Drought destroys fruit, rice and sugar crops An el nino-induced drought in Vietnam has left one million people in urgent need of food assistance and two million lacking access to drinking water, europe's humanitarian aid agency said. the country's worst drought in 90 years, coupled with seawater intrusion into the Mekong River delta, has destroyed fruit, rice and sugar crops in the world's third- largest rice exporter after India and thailand. Thomson Reuters Foundation, 20 June Electric cars travel the North Coast 500 A road route dubbed Scotland's answer to the uS's historic Route 66 can now be travelled using an electric car, according to the energy Saving trust. the north Coast 500 involves travelling 500 miles (804km) round the coast of the highlands. the trust has been driving the route in electric and also hybrid cars using charging points along the way. the trust has been visiting communities along the way, including tongue, Wick, Lybster and Brora, to raise awareness about electric cars. BBC News, 16 June

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