Energy Matters September / October 2024

Welcome to our September / October Energy Matters Newsletter.

The energy sector is a rapidly changing market with daily updates on technological advances, regulatory reviews, policy updates, funding decisions. In each edition of our Energy Matters Newsletter, we aim to provide a user-friendly, summary update of some of the key issues we are seeing across the renewable energy and resource management sectors.

If you would like to discuss any of the issues raised, please contact a member of our energy team.

Energy Spotlight

Last week the government announced plans to improve home energy standards to help deliver the safety and security of warmer, cheaper homes that are free from damp and mould.

Currently, private rented homes can be rented out if they meet Energy Performance Certificate E, while social rented homes have no minimum energy efficiency standard at all. 

The government will now shortly consult on proposals for private and social rented homes to achieve Energy Performance Certificate C or equivalent by 2030.

The government has also announced a new Warm Homes: Local Grant to help low-income homeowners and private tenants with energy performance upgrades and cleaner heating.  In addition, continuation of the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme has been confirmed, as well as the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund, which replaces the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, to support social housing providers and tenants.

Guidance for Local Authorities on the new Warm Homes: Local Grant, which replaces the Local Authority Delivery scheme, and which will start delivery in 2025. The expression of interest window for local authorities wishing to participate will open in October this year. Low-income, private tenants will be eligible for support, with the agreement of their landlord. Private tenants are also eligible for support under the Energy Company Obligation. Further details of the Warm Homes Plan will be set out through the Spending Review. 

Guidance for Wave 3 of the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund, which opens for applications week commencing 30 September.

Phase 4 of the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero says intervention is “well overdue” to “deliver the safety and security of warmer, cheaper homes that are free from damp and mould”.

  

Overview Quick Links

District Heat / Energy

Solar 

Electricity

Net Zero

Net Zero Cities 

Onshore and Offshore Wind

Contracts for Difference

Battery Storage 

 

District Heat / Energy

Green Heat Network Fund awards £57m to five more projects

Renewable Energy Installer & Specifier 2 September 2024

These projects will provide sustainable, low carbon heat to 17,000 new homes, commercial spaces, and public buildings.

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Solar

Brockwell Storage and Solar seeks views on massive new solar farm plan

BBC News 24 September 2024.

East Park Solar would be built on the Bedfordshire-Cambridgeshire border, near St Neots, and span 776 hectares (1,918 acres), larger than 1,000 football pitches.

 

UK’s largest solar project approved

BBC News 6 September 2024

The 600MW Cottam Solar Project, which will be located east of Willingham by Stow in West Lindsey was granted development consent.

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Electricity

Government rules out underground cabling in National Grid upgrade

Guardian 12 September 2024

The government has ruled out burying electricity cables underground as part of its energy strategy, which will involve the unrolling of hundreds of pylons across the British countryside, Ed Miliband’s clean energy adviser has said.

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Net Zero

New protections from rogue energy brokers

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero 20 September 2024

New government consultation will investigate introducing regulations for third-party services in the energy retail market to protect consumers and businesses.

 

New publicly owned National Energy System Operator to pave the way to a clean energy future

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero 13 September 2024

National Energy System Operator will support the UK’s energy security, help to keep bills down in the long term, and accelerate the government’s clean power mission

 

Cumbria Coal mine plan quashed by High Court

BBC News 13 September 2024

Plans to build the UK's first deep coal mine in more than 30 years have been quashed. Two campaign groups had brought legal action over the previous government's decision to grant planning permission for the site near Whitehaven in Cumbria.

 

UK farming's 'net zero' climate target in doubt

BBC News 11 September 2024

Ambitious plans to make farming ‘net zero’ by 2040 - 10 years ahead of the UK’s legally-binding national target – may not be achieved, the National Farmers' Union (NFU) has told the BBC.

 

Ofgem approved 12 projects to share £84m from the Strategic Innovation Fund

UK Research & Innovation 6 September 2024

The Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF) is a funding mechanism for the Electricity System Operator, Electricity Transmission, Gas Transmission and Gas Distribution sectors. The SIF aims to find and fund ambitious, innovative projects with the potential to accelerate the transition to net zero

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Net Zero Cities

Aberdeen to host Great British Energy HQ in UK-wide clean energy drive

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero 24 September 2024

Aberdeen has today been named the new home of Great British Energy, drawing on the city’s world-leading engineering expertise to kickstart a UK-wide clean energy revolution.

 

Home upgrade revolution as renters set for warmer homes and cheaper bills

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero 23 September 2024

New plans to boost minimum energy efficiency standards for all rented homes.

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Onshore and Offshore Wind

Consultation to start on wind farm expansion plan

BBC News 10 September 2024

The Dogger Bank site, which is 80 miles (129km) off the East Yorkshire coast, covers 646sq miles (1,673sq km) and is divided into three phases named A, B and C. A public consultation is starting on plans to extend it.

 

Nine offshore wind farm projects awarded in UK auction

BBC News 3 September 2024

A total of nine offshore wind farm contracts have been awarded by the government after last year's auction failed to attract any bidders at all.

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Contracts for Difference

Government secures record pipeline of clean cheap energy projects

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero 3 September 2024

Sixth renewables auction delivers record smashing 131 clean energy projects powering equivalent of 11 million homes.

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Battery Storage

Energy Park battery unit given approval

BBC News 24 September 2024

Thanet District Council has given retrospective planning permission for the 99.9-megawatt Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) at Richborough Energy Park, near Sandwich in Kent.

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If you would like to discuss any of the issues raised, please contact a member of our energy team.