Utility Week

4 | 15TH - 21ST JUNE 2018 | UTILITY WEEK Seven days... Tepco shares rally on nuclear restart hopes Shares in Tokyo Electric Power Company jumped as much as 8.8 per cent on Monday aer the elec- tion of a new governor fuelled fresh optimism over the potential restart of a major nuclear power facility in the area. Hideyo Hanazumi, backed by prime minister Shinzo Abe's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, won the Niigata governor's election on Sunday. His predecessor, Ryuichi Yoneyama, was a firm opponent of restarting Kashiwazaki-Kariwa, the world's largest nuclear generating site, which was shut down aer the 2011 Fukushima disaster. Financial Times, 11 June French farmers blockade oil refineries Farmers began blockading oil refineries and depots around France to try to create a fuel shortage and win concessions from the govern- ment. The national farmers' union was parking tractors and erecting barriers at 13 refineries and storage sites to deny access to staff and vehicles in the Paris area, Toulouse, Lyons, Marseilles, Dunkirk and the mid-Atlantic coast. Their main aim is to stop the use of imported palm oil for the manufacture of biofuels by the Total group. They are also angry over restrictions on glyphosate weedkiller and on the importation of cheap meat and wine from countries outside Europe. The Times, 11 June Uranium found in Indian drinking water Scientists have discovered widespread uranium pollution in drinking water supplies in India. The study, led by researchers from Duke University in the US, believes the main source of the contamination in wells and aquifers is natural, although human factors are believed to be making it worse. Uranium poisoning can cause severe health problems. Sky News, 8 June STORY BY NUMBERS National media Regulator to review supplier licensing regime O fgem will reassess its approach to supplier licensing and could toughen rules for entry to the energy market to protect con- sumers against poor customer service and financial instability. The regulator committed earlier this year to carrying out the work and this week outlined its scope for the review in a let- ter to suppliers and prospective suppliers. Ofgem has previously been criticised for its supplier licence regime, with consumer advocate groups warning it is too easy for new suppliers to enter the mar- ket without the correct processes in place. The regulator said one of its key priorities for the current year is to "enable a better functioning retail market". It will consider potential reforms for supply market entry and exit as well as ongoing monitoring and engagement. This will include whether there should be "additional require- ments" relating to the financial health of a prospective supplier. The current licensing arrangements have "successfully supported" a rise in the number of suppliers in the market from 27 active domestic suppliers in December 2014 to 66 in Septem- ber 2017, the regulator said. As part of the review, it will consider whether it needs "additional tools" to manage market exit and the revocation of supplier licences in "excep- tional cases". It will also review its approach to supplier failure and its safety net. The regulator published revised guidance back in 2016 on the criteria it would consider when selecting a sup- plier of last resort. Since then there have been two instances of supplier failure that required Ofgem's interven- tion, first GB Energy Supply went bust in 2016, and again when Future Energy failed in January this year. Ofgem said the process has worked "well to date" but the cases had shown areas where the arrangements "could poten- tially be improved". KP Consumer trust Despite recent price hikes from the big six, consumer trust in traditional energy suppliers remains strong, according to a new survey. The research from data communica- tions firm Read Group looked at the key issues that affect consumer trust. 23% British Gas was most popular, with nearly a quarter of people trusting the company. 16% Categorised as "Other", the second most trusted provider was a combination of 59 "challenger" brands. 58% would switch provider to get a cheaper offering. 41% Just two in five people believe they are getting the best deal. "While the drivers of this historic shift may be global, the impacts will be local and local authorities will be on the front lines" Nina Skorupska, chief executive of the Renewable Energy Association, urges local authorities to take the lead on electric vehicle deployment.

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