Utility Week

4 | 25TH - 31ST MAY 2018 | UTILITY WEEK Seven days... Fast-track fracking plan prompts criticism Fracking opponents have reacted with anger aer ministers unveiled measures to help projects through the planning system in England, which campaigners said would make drilling a shale well as easy as building a conservatory. Shale gas explorers will be able to drill test sites in England without applying for planning permission, and fracking sites could be classed as nationally significant infrastruc- ture, meaning approval would come at a national rather than local level. The Guardian, 17 May Ophir Energy shares slide as CEO departs Shares in Ophir Energy fell on Friday aer the UK independent oil and gas group announced that chief executive Nick Cooper would be stepping down with immediate effect. Ophir said the decision, which was by mutual agreement, reflected an ongoing move "to rebalance its portfolio" towards "a larger production and cashflow base, to support more focused and sustainable exploration activity". Financial Times, 18 May Nasa reveals areas running out of water New satellite data on freshwater reserves from Nasa have revealed that dozens of regions across the globe are in danger of becoming the next Cape Town. The South African city was in danger this year of becoming the first big city to run out of water and had to impose severe water-saving measures to avert "day zero". Research from scientists at Nasa and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory shows that worldwide fresh water reserves have changed drastically since 2002. The decline in water availability in regions in India, China, and the Middle East has been blamed mainly on irriga- tion and groundwater pumping. Financial Times, 16 May STORY BY NUMBERS National media Ofwat's leakage policy 'not driven by headlines' O fwat's policy on leakage has been driven by a "considered view of evi- dence" rather than by national media headlines. Speaking in the "tackling leakage" session on the first day of Utility Week Live at the NEC in Birmingham on 22 May, the regulator's director for outcomes and customer engagement, Jon Ashley conceded that leakage is a "high profile issue" for the water industry, which is "oen in the media". "However, our policy for PR19 on leakage is not driven by headlines but by a considered view of the evidence on leakage and through consultation with our stakeholders." He added: "I've met with all the water companies over the past few months to understand their approach to customer engagement and I've picked up from them that leakage is as important in this price review as it was in PR14." Ofwat said both the UK and Welsh governments want to see leakage reduced and the issue relates to all four themes of PR19: customer service, affordable bills, resilience in the round; and innovation. "There's a strong link between great customer service and leakage. Companies are engaging with customers and many find their customers expect companies to reduce leakage in the future," Ashley told delegates. The regulator has challenged the sector to reduce leakage by 15 per cent by 2025 and said it expects companies to make a "step change in efficiency". Ofwat has had a "mixed response from stakeholders" to the leakage challenges set out in the methodology for PR19. "Some of our stakehold- ers recognised the need for an ambitious reduction, others had concerns over our approach," Ashley said. He stressed that Ofwat had laid down "challenges" for leakage, which are "not require- ments" for water companies. However, he said, companies that consider they will need additional funding to achieve leakage reductions will need to submit a "very well-argued cost adjustment claim." KP Ignorance widespread about energy costs Many UK consum- ers are blind to the reality of their energy costs, bills and tariffs, according to The Energy Profile 2018 report from energy technology innova- tor The Labrador. Highlights of its findings include: 46% of consumers in the UK have paid for their energy via estimated bills for the past three years. 48% of people have not submitted a gas or electricity reading in the past six months. 2.2m households don't know if they pay their energy bills via estimates or actual usage. 2.1m Brits don't know how much they are paying for their monthly gas and electric bills "It is deeply alarming that the minister for climate change thinks gas is low carbon" Former energy and climate change secretary Ed Davey responds to a Claire Perry tweet describing shale gas as "low carbon energy" after the government unveiled moves to fast-track planning approval for shale.

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