News

25 August 2011: energyexcel have been shortlisted for the SHP IOSH Awards 2011 in the Best Health and Safety Acheivement in Utility and Offshore category. The award ceremony will take place on Thursday 20th October at the London Hilton in Park Lane. http://www.shp-iosh-awards.com/

22 August 2011: DECC published the UK's draft National Implementation Measures for Phase III of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme. The documents set out for scrutiny the draft leveles of free allocation of allowances (tCO2) on a site-by-site basis for each year of Phase III (2013 to 2020). The period of time during which the Environment Agency can respond to queries of the the draft allocationa ends on 28 October 2011.

3 August 2011: Following publication of the Eurpoean Commission's draft 'Energy Efficiency Directive', the UK Government launches an informal consultation to consider the Directive's proposals. The Directive is intended to close the gap between ambition and action in meeting the EU target to save 20% of its primary energy consumption by 2020 through improvements in energy efficiency. Among the proposals included in the Directive is a requirement for Member States to ensure that large companies undertake an independent audit by 30 June 2014 and every three years thereafter. In addition, Member States must ensure that certification and qualification schemes are available for providers of energy services, energy audits and energy efficiency improvements.

18 July 2011: Dixons has cut its electricity use by a third in a year. Latest figures showed the retail group which includes the brands Currys and PC World, has netted £1.9 million in savings since May 2010.See the energynewslive website for more on this story.

30 June 2011: Government announces proposals to simplify the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme. This will be achieved by reducing the number of fuels covered by the scheme to just four - electricity, gas, kerosene and diesel (where the latter two are used for heating purposed). In addition, the Government plans to move to fixed price allowance sales and will automatically exempt any CCA or EU ETS site.

23 March 2011: Government announces in the Budget that the Climate Change Agreement (CCA) scheme will be extended to 2023. A consultation on options to simplify the scheme will be published by summer 2011. Legislation will also be introduced to amend the reduced rate of CCL on electricity from 35% to 20% from April 2013 (to help mitigate the impacts of the carbon price floor – see below).

23 March 2011: To encourage investment in low-carbon power generation, Government announces in the Budget 2011 that a carbon price floor will be introduced in April 2013. In addition to generators of electricity, this will indirectly affect all electricity consumers. Supplies of fossil fuels used in most forms of electricity generation will become liable to CCL or fuel duty from this date. Such supplies will be charged at the relevant carbon price support rate, which will reflect the differential between the future market price of carbon and the floor price determined by the Government. From April 2013, the carbon price support rates will be equivalent to £4.94/tCO2. For gas, this translates to a charge of 0.091 p/kWh. Indicative carbon support rates for 2014/15 and 2015/16 will be equivalent to £7.28/tCO2 and £9.86/tCO2 respectively. CHP plant registered under the CHP Quality Assurance programme will be liable to reduced carbon price support rates.

18 March 2011: A fast-track review of Feed-in Tariffs (FITs) is launched following growing evidence that large-scale solar PV above50 kW could lead to the expected uptake of FITs being exceeded. Subject to the consultation, Government intends to limit the tariffs for solar PV to 19.0 p/kWh for schemes with a capacity of 50 – 150 kW, 15.0 p/kWh for 150 – 250 kW and 8.5 p/kWh for schemes greater than 250 kW. The new rates are expected to become effective from 1 August 2011.

30 January 2011:  The Sunday Telegraph reports that it has learned that the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme could be merged with other taxes, thus casting more confusion for the thousands of companies registered under the scheme.  In a surprise announcement as part of the Spending Review in October 2010, the Government had previously announced that it intended to simplify the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme to reduce the burden on businesses.  Consequently, it decided that the revenues from allowance sales totalling £1.0 billion a year by 2014-15 would be used to support the public finances, including spending on the environment, rather than recycled to participants!

19 January 2011:  Spot trading in carbon emissions allowances (EUAs) under the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) is temporarily suspended after cyber thieves stole emission certificates worth several millions of euro in a spate of attacks in several Member States.  Spot trading will continue when national registries - which manage companies' accounts and keep track of the ownership of carbon permits – have upgraded their online security.

16 December 2010:  The Government has launched a consultation on proposals to provide greater certainty and support to the carbon price.  Changes to the climate change levy (CCL) and fuel duty are proposed to support and give certainty to the price of carbon in the UK electricity generating sector.  The aim is to help create more incentives for investment in low-carbon electricity generation.  Alongside these proposals, the Government has launched a consultation to deliver fundamental reforms to the electricity market to ensure the UK has secure, affordable low carbon supplies of electricity over the long term.

25 November 2010. GlaxoSmithKline has won the 'Industrial and Commercial' category at this year's Combined Heat and Power (CHPA) Awards for the gas-turbine CHP scheme recently commissioned at its Royal Forest Factory in Coleford, Gloucestershire. The scheme, which is based on a Centrax 5.4 MW gas turbine, provides power and absorption cooling for a new on-site bottle blowing facility which will be used to provide bottles to package the company's Ribena and Lucozade energy drinks. energyexcel is pleased to have worked with GSK in carrying out the feasibility and configuring the eventual CHP scheme.

24 November 2010: Congratulations to the Co-operative Group on winning the Environment Agency Staff Award for Environmental Achievement at the inaugural Environmental Pioneer Awards. The award, which was presented at a reception in Westminster City Hall, was given to the Co-operative Group for continually pushing the boundaries on environmental performance and leading the way on ethical consumerism. Further details: http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/news/125228.aspx

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