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Countdown to COP

Our new campaign plots the course to the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow this November and looks at the key topics for utilities.

Editor's picks

Ovo: Retailers have to be allowed fair returns
Ovo Energy wants to be in the vanguard of delivering new technologies and services to enable net zero. However, the company’s chief financial officer Bill Castell insists that first the energy retail market must be stabilised, to give both investors and consumers confidence. As part of Utility Week’s Countdown to COP campaign, he speaks to James Wallin.
Interviews
Steve Holliday: What utilities can learn from telecomms
Steve Holliday, National Grid’s former chief executive and now chair of Cityfibre, urges more joined-up thinking between telecommunications and energy companies to meet net-zero targets. He also gives his view on the future for National Grid and the lack of policy to incentivise storage. Denise Chevin reports
Interviews
Zoning in on heat networks
Most agree that heat networks will have a significant role in the decarbonisation of heating, but despite recent growth they remain a niche technology in the UK. As part of our Countdown to COP campaign, Utility Week looks at how heat zoning could help to change that.
Analysis

Featured

Paving the way to net zero
What enabling actions are needed to ensure we make best use of data and digitalisation on the road to net zero? A new report from Utility Week and CGI highlights five key requirements.
Analysis
Co-locating hybrid tech: does it always stack up?
Is there a firm future for co-located hybrid technologies on generation sites – or is it a passing fashion? Denise Chevin moderated a Utility Week roundtable discussion in association with Addleshaw Goddard to find out.
Analysis
Bevan: Funding must be restored to protect rivers
The chief executive of the Environment Agency faced questions from MPs as part of the Environmental Audit Committee's enquiry into river health in England. James Bevan blamed having his budget slashed by two thirds since 2010 for failings to properly monitor and inspect to protect waterways.
News

Latest in Countdown to COP

Bristol launches net-zero plan tied to its social contract
Bristol Water has unveiled a routemap to decarbonising its business and operations by 2030 aligned with its city's climate strategy. It sets out four pathways to net zero, with a focus on ramping up renewable generation and a cautious approach to offsetting.
News
BEIS considers split auctions in Capacity Market
The government says separate auctions for low-carbon generation may need to be introduced to the Capacity Market to balance security of supply and the need to decarbonise. A call for evidence on changes to the mechanism also considers agreement lengths and how to incentive low-carbon, long-build-time technologies.
News
Anglian seeks to maximise value of biogas in 2030 push
Anglian Water has set out a twin-track approach to reaching net-zero emissions by 2030, including a “stretch” pathway that shows what could be achieved with additional funding and policy levers.
News
Helm warns UK is too reliant on interconnectors
Professor Sir Dieter Helm has branded the government’s decision to opt out of the EU’s internal energy market (IEM) while increasing its reliance on interconnectors a “mistake”, which threatens the UK’s security of supply during cold snaps.
News
Leaders fear data shortfalls will hinder net zero transitions
Over three quarters of senior utilities leaders have concerns that a lack of robust data about the sustainability of internal and supply chain operations will hamper delivery of net zero transition goals, according to new research conducted by Utility Week.
News
Countdown to COP: The future of regulation
As the government prepares to issue a long-awaited strategic policy statement for Ofgem, this webinar asks what should be included, and what should absolutely be avoided. Hear from panelists, including the regulator's former chief executive, Dermot Nolan.
Webinars
Storm of submissions to ScotWind leasing round
Nearly two dozen companies have now confirmed they have submitted bids to the ScotWind offshore wind leasing round. The consortia they have formed include most of Europe’s largest oil companies, with a significant proportion making proposals for floating offshore windfarms, either explicitly or implicitly. Utility Week presents a round-up of the various announcements.
News
Majority of councils now have net-zero plans
Nearly three quarters of England’s most powerful councils have committed to decarbonise their local area, according to a new report from Parliament’s spending watchdog. The National Audit Office backed calls for the government to consider the case for a statutory duty for local authorities on net zero to clarify the scope of their roles and responsibilities.
News
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