Npower’s continued inability to contribute to the coffers of parent RWE looks likely to move them up the cost saving and asset disposal list.

As RWE struggle to come to grips with the phase-out of nuclear energy in 2022, net debt of over £24 billion, a less than anticipated return on a recent share sale, loss-making long-term gas deals and its failure to setup a joint venture with Gazprom for the takeover of all European generation including the UK, it doesn’t bode well.

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Is the last minute attempt by Friends of The Earth and two solar installation companies going to ‘Save the Solar Industry?’

The Friends of the Earth is urging the Government to get a grip on the urgent need to invest in the UK’s green energy – and to make the feed-in tariff scheme more ambitious, not less..is this last minute attempt by Friends of The Earth and two solar installation companies going to ‘Save the Solar Industry?’

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It has taken 25 years of de-regulation for realisation that the Energy Market is in a mess. Whilst some of us brokers and consultants have been a small but insistent voice over the years, trying to persuade Suppliers not to deal with unprofessional TPIs (Third Party Intermediaries), finally Ofgem could have power and legislation to make this happen by the accreditation of energy brokers and TPIs
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The Deptartment of Energy and Climate Change subsidies for Renewable Energy have been very successful, the majority of the Feed-In tariff support going to Solar Energy Schemes, almost too successful perhaps.
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Severn Trent Water, one of the UK’s biggest water utilities is on course to complete the first commercial scale dedicated crop digestion plant. Each year 37,000 tonnes of maize is fed into £15 million worth of machinery investment, enabling Severn Trent Water to produce 15GWh of electricity which will be utilised to help run the sewage treatment works.
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SSE, the UKs second largest energy generator, has recently announced plans to introduce a new, transparent approach to the management of its electricity supply. The innovative solution will see SSE auction all of its energy generated and demand purchased on the day ahead market.
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For most of us the pylon has become virtually invisible, and I imagine many of the naysayers are now focussing their efforts on the increasingly ubiquitous ‘wind turbine’ as a source of more local energy. National Grid, Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) have understood that pylons will be around for the foreseeable future as a delivery method for electricity across the UK. They have run a competition for architects, designers and students to redesign the pylons of the future and you can see theshortlist of six on the Pylon Design competition website where you can also add comments.
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