Utility Week

UTILITY WEEK | 24TH - 30TH JUNE 2016 | 31 Community Editor, Utility Week, and content director, Utilities: Ellen Bennett, t: 01342 332084, e: ellenbennett@fav-house.com; Acting editor: Jane Gray, t: 01342 332087, e: janegray@ fav-house.com; Insights editor: Mathew Beech, t: 01342 332082, e: mathewbeech@fav-house. com; News editor: Lois Vallely, t: 01342 332080, e: loisvallely@fav-house.com; Networks correspondent: Lucinda Dann, t: 01342 332083, e: lucindadann@fav-house.com; Reporters: Saffron Johnson, t: 01342 332050, e: saffronjohnson@fav-house.com and Tom Grimwood, t: 01342 332061, e: tomgrimwood@fav-house.com; Business development manager: Richard Powell, t: 01342 332062, e: richardpowell@fav-house.com; Business development executive: Sarah Wood, t: 01342 332077, e: sarahwood@fav-house.com; Publisher: Amanda Barnes, e: amandabarnes@ fav-house.com. General enquiries: 01342 332000; Membership enquiries: Peter Bissell, t: 01342 332507, e: peterbissell@fav-house.com. ISSN: 1356-5532. Registered as a newspaper at the Post Offi ce. Printed by: Buxton Press, Palace Road, Buxton, Derbyshire SK17 6AE. Published by: Faversham House Ltd, Windsor Court, Wood Street, East Grinstead, West Sussex RH19 1UZ 3,580 Average circulation Jan–Dec 2015 Membership subscriptions: UK £637 per year. Overseas £749 per year. Contact Peter Bissell on: 01342 332507 Culture, innit? These pages go to press before the result of the EU referendum is known, but we'll assume the electorate ignored the pied piper of Ukip and voted against Brexit, because if they didn't, then doubt- less you'd have big- ger things on your mind than reading the pages of Utility Week: things like writing your last will and testament and preparing for World War III, if David Cameron's forecasts are half-way accurate. So we'll assume the result was Remain and carry on as normal, but then "normal" is a moveable feast depending on where you call home. If you're a Glaswegian, for instance, nothing's been quite normal since the city was awarded the coveted, if unlikely, sobriquet European City of Culture back in 1990. The latest wheeze there has been dreamt up by the Canal Regeneration Partnership, which is assessing proposals for an "urban art installation" that also generates electricity. There are three designs in the frame: the Wind Forest, comprising 100 bladeless wind turbines; the Watergaw, which would use water turbine tech- nology to generate electricity, heat, and rainbows (don't ask); and, Disconnector's favourite, the Dundas Dandelions, which would use a network of carbon ' bre windstalks to generate electricity as they sway in strong winds. If commissioned, it will have the added bene' t of being lit up at night, so passers-by would be able to scratch their heads and wonder what the hell it is at night as well as during the day. Lost and found There's something desperately romantic about the idea of a lost city, be it in the jungle or under the water, so Disconnec- tor felt a pang of sympathy for the discoverers of an underwa- ter lost city to the north of the Greek island of Zakynthos. In 2013 a group of divers chanced upon a weird site containing what appeared to be the colonnades and courtyards of a long-lost civilisation. It quickly became a must-see destination for divers in the region and naturally came to the attention of archeologists. Unfortunately, this is where the story unravels, because despite appearances to the contrary, the circular column bases are in fact a natural phenomenon, created millions of years ago by a constant leak of gas from the seabed. The process, called concre- tion, happens when methane escapes from a fault and bub- bles up through the sediment on the sea – oor. Bacteria living in the sediment metabolises the gas, causing a chemical reac- tion in the sand around them forming a natural cement that solidi' es into columns, tubes and slabs. Over time, the sur- rounding sediment erodes away and, hey presto, ancient ruins! Oh well, Atlantis is still out there somewhere. We'll just have to keep looking. Car trouble According to Norwegian news- paper Dagens Naeringsliv, the country's right-wing Progress Party plans to ban the sale of all new fossil fuel cars by 2025, making it the ' rst country to make such a commitment. The news has raised a few eyebrows, and not just because Norway makes a challenging environment for any vehicle, petrol-driven or otherwise. The country also relies for much of its investment on its sovereign wealth fund, which is fuelled by revenues from oil and gas. Either the announcement was made prematurely by some over-enthusiastic politico, or the authorities will be in the curious position of blazing a trail they fervently hope no-one else will follow. In response to the news of the impending ban, Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted: "What an amazingly awesome country. You guys rock!!" You bet he did. Disconnector UK PowerNetworksNews @UKPNnews A cigarette bin at our offi ce in #Smallfi eld has become a makeshift home for a blue tit family! npower @npowerhq Walking boots at the ready – 150 Npower challengers take on the Yorkshire 3 Peaks for @macmillancancer. Good Luck guys! Oxford ConnectedLife @OxConnectedLife Fracking is a local issue on people's door- steps, brings climate change home - that's when people take notice - @Info_Activism Alastair Harper @harperingon So many MPs of all parties make the world better on issues that aren't easy or quick to solve, from refugees to climate change. #thankyouMP CCWater @WaterWatchdog Our research shows awareness of 'what not to fl ush' down the loo is growing, but we still have much more to do. @mcsuk Amber Rudd MP @AmberRudd_MP Seeing her across the fl oor of the House, her fearless certainty always drew attention and admiration. An exceptional MP. A huge loss. #JoCox Kris @Kristina_Downs Can't believe it's 2016 and I'm watching two suits on #viewpoint trying to imply RENEWABLE ENERGY is the reason for high electricity prices. Graham B @GeeCeeBee The #gaz #leccy ad with #sweet #ballroom- blitz made me laugh. Don't fl og it to death though guys (and it's a shame smart meters are unpalatable). KiWi Power @kiwipowered 'Energy storage can work hand in hand with #demandresponse' with benefi ts to businesses and @nationalgriduk. #power- responsive Top Tweets

• Cover