Karen Rowe

There is massive potential to increase the UK's renewable energy capacity by repowering older windfarms using new technology. We now routinely advise on repowering of wind projects, driven by vast improvements in turbine technology. The average lifespan of a wind turbine is 20 to 25 years. By 2040 more than 60% of the UK's current onshore wind capacity will be older than its expected lifecycle. For Feed-in-Tariff projects, Ofgem have changed its approach to alterations, repairs or replacement of generating equipment at accredited feed-in tariff installations. Previously, replacing equipment could have affected the FITs accreditation of the installation. The act of replacing generating equipment will not now, in itself, result in decommissioning and withdrawal of FITs accreditation. Any such modification would not be taken into consideration unless there was a breach of the FITs scheme rules. Ofgem considers this will allow generators to replace and temporarily remove generating equipment and retain an installation's accreditation. Why is this important? If you have an under-performing, inefficient, older wind turbine you may be able to substantially increase your long-term returns by replacing it with a newer model while still retaining the FIT accreditation. Please get in touch if this might apply to you. We can advise on how this might operate in practice. #windenergy #feedintariff

49

1 Comment

In this week's #EnergyTransition we look at:   ⚡ Autumn Budget 2024: funding for GB Energy, CCUS, green hydrogen and EV chargepoints; ⚡ Governments' proposals to streamline planning for energy projects in Scotland; ⚡ The six locations for England's first-ever heat network zones; and ⚡ Energy market predictions from the International Energy Agency. #AutumnBudget #GBEnergy #NetZero #EnergyTransition

4

In case you missed it - 2 x heat consultations came out earlier this month. DESNZ is consulting on consumer protections for heat networks (part 2 to an consultation response in Spring 2024) & at the same time, Ofgem is consulting on regulatory oversight & authorisation conditions for operators and suppliers of heat networks. Both consultations close on 31 January 2025. Regulation will step in through a phase approach starting from 1 April 2025 where existing heat networks will go through 'deemed authorisation'. Up next will be seeing the outcome of the heat networks zoning consultation - but in the meantime did you know that x 6 areas in England will be piloting new heat network schemes (Leeds, Plymouth, Bristol, Stockport, Sheffield, and x 2 in London)? Construction expected to start from 2026. The government also released maps this autumn showing new and potential zones - so heat networks could be coming soon, to a cinema near you... For summaries of the key points from both consultations, see the comments below 👇

15

2 Comments

In this week's festive edition of the #EnergyTransition we look at: ⚡ Government publishes Clean Power 2030 Action Plan; ⚡ Government updates on review of energy market arrangements; and ⚡ NESO publishes 'strategic alignment' criteria for grid connections #CP30 #REMA #GridReform #NetZero #EnergyTransition

4

NESO has got the official nod to produce the Strategic Spatial Energy Plan (SSEP). The UK, Scottish & Welsh governments jointly commissioned National Energy System Operator in a letter published this morning to produce our key 2030 and beyond plan for the GB energy system. ⚡️First iteration of the plan will be published in 2026 & will focus on electricity generation, storage & hydrogen assets. ⚡️NESO will publish its consultation on SSEP methodology later this year. In the meantime we're awaiting the Clean Power 2030 (CP30) plan in the next few weeks. ⚡️SSEP's outputs will feed into & inform our third plan in the strategic trifecta / final acronym today - the Centralised Strategic Network Plan (CSNP) which will plan the transmission network infrastructure that NESO needs to deliver. & a reminder at what SSEP is looking to deliver as per the commission doc: "The SSEP will assess the optimal locations, quantities and types of energy infrastructure required, across a range of plausible futures [NESO does love its pathways!], to meet future energy demand with the clean, affordable and secure supply that we need. It will take into account public views, environmental considerations and cross-sectoral demands on land and sea." Full documents (press release, letter & full commission) linked in the comments below ⬇️

80

2 Comments

In our second Insight on REMA (and with thanks to Anna Sweeney), the AG team take a look at locational pricing. While there is plenty of detail still to come, the current proposals set the groundwork for a more efficient system and may also support other elements of net zero strategy (e.g. the hydrogen roll-out).

3

Access to grid is a perennial problem in the UK. In one of the final actions before the dissolution of Parliament, the Environmental Audit Committee, a committee of MPs, highlighted a persistent challenge for renewable energy in the UK: access to the electricity grid. Key issues such as slow connections, limited capacity, restrictive planning regulations, and market uncertainty are stalling progress. Ofgem and National Grid ESO have brought in reforms to try and speed up the system by requiring projects to meet key milestones, with the threat of projects losing their place in the queue. However, the report finds that these changes have not yet reduced the length of the connection queue. 🔍 Committee Recommendations: - The Government and Ofgem should actively monitor and streamline grid connection initiatives. - Ofgem and ESO should review its milestone queue reforms to advance demonstrably ready projects. - Address the planning system bottleneck by equipping local authorities with the necessary resources and expertise to expedite clean energy projects. The findings underscore the urgent need for effective grid solutions to accelerate our transition to a sustainable energy future.

14

1 Comment

I recently joined an expert panel hosted by Ethex to discuss community energy in the UK. Community energy has the power to rebuild trust in the net zero transition while putting control back into the hands of local communities. In my latest blog post for CO2Sense CIC, I explore: *Why community energy can drive local regeneration *How government risk finance can help to attract private investors to scale the sector *The policy changes needed to unlock its full potential At CO2Sense, we’ve spent over 15 years helping communities turn community scale energy projects into reality. With the right support, we can scale these efforts and create a greener, fairer future. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/epTGhPBr #NetZero #CommunityEnergy #Sustainability #SocialInvestment

17

1 Comment

A shift to locational pricing would be an enormous change to the UK electricity market, and has implications for everyone; new and existing #generation projects, #interconnectors, and electricity consumers. We've summarised what this is and what it might for mean for you at the link below. #REMA #electricitymarket

7

Register here for this 3️⃣0️⃣ mins webinar 👇 - next Friday 8th November at 1pm The proposed changes announced to Scottish energy consenting are not just of interest to planning anoraks. These are fundamental. And will likely come into effect swiftly. Join Jeraldine McNally and I for a quick fire summary of what is proposed and what it means for your project. An article to boot below too!

33

Guess what I'll be reading today? #cleanpower #2030 "Delivering Clean Power by 2030 requires swift action from industry, regulators, government, and NESO, necessitating significant changes in approach. The right supply, demand, networks and flexibility all need to be developed. A key challenge will be making sure all deliver simultaneously, in full and at maximum pace, in a sustainable way to set Great Britain on the right path beyond 2030. "

2

There's many articles about Great British Energy today, but the one below is one of the better ones, pointing out that investment in new clean energy projects needs to be matched with a massively upgraded transmission and distribution network, as well as other solutions such as green #hydrogen and battery storage. But another major obstacle to the Government's plans is the planning system and the delays this can cause. As ever, holistic solutions are required. #GBEnergy #renewables #cleanenergy #netzero https://lnkd.in/dDz9Cx9G

15

So what did you think of Labour’s first budget in 14 years - to what extent will “invest, invest, invest” apply to the energy and infrastructure sectors, and will the private sector feel sufficiently confident to sign up to the government’s “Growth Mission”?

3

💡 Our latest blog from Helen Stack (Regulatory Manager at Centrica) explores how grid delays are hindering decarbonisation, examining 3 major challenges: ⚠️ Large queue: Over 700GW of energy generation projects waiting to connect to the grid ⚠️ Lengthy build times: transmission infrastructure takes 12-14 years to build ⚠️ Local low-carbon connection issues Discover how these barriers are being tackled to accelerate our sustainable future 🌍 #EnergisingAGreenerFuture #ThisIsPositiveEnergy https://lnkd.in/eEGYdx7M

15

2 important UK consultations have landed if you're active in the #waste, #carboncapture and/or #greenhousegas removals space. One on the proposed expansion of the #ukets to cover #energyfromwaste and #wasteincineration. The other on plans to expand the UK ETS to include UK based greenhouse gas removal techniques. #energytransition #netzerocarbon

10

Here’s the first in a series of articles on the recent consultations on heat network regulations launched by DESNZ and Ofgem. We’ll be doing a deep dive into some of the key themes in the consultations over the following weeks.

22

In this week's #EnergyTransition we look at: ⚡ The government's call for evidence to inform changes to the Capacity Market; ⚡ UK and Scottish governments' agreement to boost clean energy investment; ⚡ Extension to Climate Change Agreement tax incentive scheme; ⚡ Appointment of energy experts to Clean Power Advisory Commission #CapacityMarket #CleanPower #NetZero #EnergyTransition

5

While we often associate electric heat pumps with homes, businesses are also turning to alternatives to gas to provide heating and hot water. This intro from my colleague Paul Stones explores the role they can play in facilitating low carbon development. #esg #lowcarbon #netzero #heatpumps #retrofit #makingcomplexeasy

1

Another key takeaway for me from UKREiiF this week was the scale of interest in decarbonising our energy mix. Did you know that heat networks could be one of our best chances to decarbonise the UK? 🔥 And what's more, exciting developments in innovative heat sources have called for a government push for mandatory connections to heat networks, making this sector a much more attractive prospect for investors in the UK 💹 Want to learn more? Watch my Womble Bond Dickinson (UK) LLP colleague Andrew Hirst's video 👉 https://lnkd.in/e56aqj-u #HeatNetworks #Decarbonisation #InvestmentOpportunity #Innovation #WBDEnergyTransition

10

1 Comment