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UTILITY WEEK | 14TH - 20TH JULY 2017 | 5 UK Power Networks has teamed up with logistics firm UPS to try to increase the number of electric freight vehicles that can operate from a depot, with the help of £3 million from Innovate UK. In an effort to reduce the need for reinforcements, UK Power Networks will trial a series of new measures at the UPS depot in Camden, including software that can calculate how many vehicles can be safely charged at one time using local demand data. Batteries will also be used for charging when local demand is high. ENERGY Lords to look at impact of Brexit on energy market The House of Lords is set to investigate the impact of Brexit on energy security in the UK, including the controversial topics of leaving the Euratom Treaty and the single energy market. The Lords' EU Energy and Environment sub-committee this week launched a short inquiry that will seek to highlight key issues for government to address as it develops a new energy relationship with the EU. The committee said: "The UK and the EU have common energy needs, and rely on common rules and an energy market to help ensure a secure energy supply. Leaving the EU exposes the UK energy system to some critical uncertainties, with potential impacts for both industry and consumers." The committee will begin taking evidence in September. £250m Funding announced by BEIS to support the development of smart charging technologies, which will enable electric vehicles to help balance the power grid. 40% Amount by which the Environment Agency has ordered Southern Water to reduce its abstraction from the River Test. "Any company that ends up in a disagreement with its regulator twice in a row should look carefully at what it's done and what it's doing" Bristol Water chief executive Mel Karam. Interview, p6 The electric vehicle revolution has gone up a gear, with Volvo committing to electrifying all its models by 2019, Tesla launching its new Model S car, and the French government pledging to ban all petrol and diesel vehicles by 2040. The latest figures in the UK show that the public is warming to EVs, with sales in June 2017 up almost a third compared with the previous year. Year-to-date sales for 2017 are also up by nearly 13,000. The numbers are only set to increase, placing a greater strain on electricity net- works. Data source: The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders Electric vehicle take-up in the UK rising Jun 2016 YTD 2016 Jun 2017 YTD 2017 255,766 243,454 8,311 4.4% 4.2% 3.2% 3.2% 10,714 158,635 45,996 1,401,811 1,420,636 All vehicles Hybrid and electric vehicles EV/hybrid percentage of total EV/hybrid percentage of total EV/hybrid percentage of total EV/hybrid percentage of total