Commercial and market outlook

April Fools’ Day 2021: In today’s other energy developments

Our energy April Fools' day headlines... Netflix’s The Regulator set to return with Ofwat crossover Fans of Netflix’s Ofgem-set smash hit The Regulator will be thrilled to learn that season two starts filming today (Thursday 1 April). Although secrecy is as high as ever on set, producers have confirmed that...

Low carbon generation

Nuclear energy and its potential importance for net zero

This article was originally written as a longer piece in Energy Spectrum on 21 March 2021. To find out more about a subscription to Energy Spectrum, please contact Nick on n.palmer@cornwall-insight.com. Nuclear energy has been an integral part of the UK’s electricity system for many decades. Currently, nuclear provides around...

Low carbon generation

Up north and down south – trends for generator TNUoS charging

The topic of generator Transmission Network Use of System (TNUoS) is becoming a subject of increasing interest for stakeholders as regulation, policy, and the generation mix create potential volatility for future charging trends. The significant costs posed through TNUoS are an important consideration for generators, with high variability between regions...

Commercial and market outlook

April showers bring DUoS for every half hour

Almost two years ago, Ofgem approved DCP268 DUoS Charging Using HH Settlement Data, which will move existing non-Half Hourly (NHH) settled demand customers onto time-based Half Hourly (HH) Distribution Use of System (DUoS) unit rate charges. With the modification to be implemented in the DCUSA on 1 April, we revisit...

Energy storage and flexibility

Glory Days – T-1 auction clears at £45/kW

To say the T-1 Capacity Market (CM) auction clearing at £45/kW per year was a surprise feels like an understatement. It looks like a major windfall for successful participants in the auction –  many are asking just what happened? Easy money Until February, it looked like prices would clear at...

Announcement

Alert: Budget 2021

Chancellor Rishi Sunak delivered his Budget on 3 March, a year on from the start of the COVID-19 crisis and his second in the job. Headline announcements included, among others, a sovereign green bond, the UK Infrastructure Bank, a freeze in Carbon Price Support and £20mn for floating offshore wind....

Net zero corporates and ESG

The Emperor’s new clothes?

Institutional and governance reform forms a major plank of the energy white paper, with the inevitable result that industry commentators are proposing various and new institutional constructs to address the immense challenge of transitioning the energy sector to net zero. We have seen many ideas in this space over the...

Net zero corporates and ESG

Sleeving Pools could enable local authorities to procure local energy

This blog post is adapted from an article in March’s issue of Energy net zero, published on 31 March. To find out more about a subscription to Energy net zero, please contact Veronica at v.truman@cornwall-insight.com. For many local authorities and corporates, development of small-scale renewables and consideration of generation production...

Announcement

Introducing Energy Spectrum Europe

Cornwall Insight is pleased to announce the launch of Energy Spectrum Europe. This new addition to the Energy Spectrum stable will provide the authoritative, independent insight and analysis of energy markets for which its peers covering Great Britain, Ireland and Australia are rightly renowned. Every month Energy Spectrum Europe will...

Regulation and policy

What’s changed? Celebrating 750 issues of Energy spectrum

Today marks 750 editions of Energy Spectrum, our flagship publication which covers news and insight on the energy market. To celebrate, we present six Energy Perspectives from past publications, going as far back as 2005, which we believe still have relevance today.  Issue 4 – ‘Smart metering’ - Energy policy’s missing...

Announcement

GB consultancy: Our 2020 highlights

We are independent commercial advisors to over 300 energy companies from generators, project developers, energy suppliers, network companies, investors, government departments and professional firms. Our team has over 40 years of energy market experience and works across the whole energy chain. Here is a small selection of our work in...

Announcement

Cornwall Insight tops Financial Times’s management consultancy rankings for the third year

We are delighted to announce that we have won a bronze award in the Financial Times UK’s Leading Management Consultants for the Energy, Utilities and Environment sector for the third year running. The accolade was based on research by Statista, who conducted two separate surveys, a peer-review and feedback from...

Low carbon generation

New transmission charge forecast will help generators managing cost uncertainty and volatility

Transmission network use of system (TNUoS) charges represent a significant proportion of operating costs for many renewables generators, often exceeding 50% of annual running costs. For some, as recently highlighted by SSE in a recent report and to Members of the Scottish Parliament, they could present a barrier to investment in generation...

Regulation and policy

Answers to some FAQs about Brexit

Following the end of the transition period on 31 December 2020 and the signing of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, aspects of the relationship between UK and the EU in respect of the arrangements for energy trading and cooperation have changed. We set out answers to some Frequently Asked Questions...

Home supply and services

Energy suppliers must be ready to demonstrate compliance with new principles

From 22 January, energy suppliers were required to follow new principles resulting from Ofgem’s Supplier Licensing Review (SLR), which initially kicked off nearly three years ago. Such was the breadth of the SLR, changes were introduced in two rounds, with the first round of changes bringing the introduction of tougher...

Home supply and services

BBC interview | Robert Buckley discusses Ofgem’s price cap

Robert Buckley spoke to Felicity Hannah on BBC Five Live’s Wake up to Money programme ahead of Ofgem’s announcement to increase the default price cap by £96 to £1,138. Robert explained that a combination of a rise in wholesale prices and policy costs for renewable electricity, as well as the inclusion of £23.69...

Low carbon generation

Let markets run or regulate to accelerate: a false choice or key net zero decision?

Earlier this week Cornwall Insight convened a group of industry leaders from across the energy and investment space to discuss business preparedness for net zero, and what more can be done to unlock capital to make net zero a reality. The session, hosted by our non-executive chairman Volker Beckers, is...

Announcement

Energy Market Learning and Development: Role-relevant career development training

In these challenging times it is as important as ever that we continue to provide market-leading insight on commercial, regulatory and policy developments to our customers. Our learning and development service, a key pillar of how we distill market complexity, opportunities, and challenges for our customers, has continued to evolve...

Net zero corporates and ESG

Major energy policy and regulatory changes discussed in our December Net Zero Business forum

On 10 December 2020, Cornwall Insight hosted its Net Zero Business Forum. Held four days before the release of the UK government’s Energy White Paper, the focus was on the Prime Minister’s 10-point plan, the Spending Review and the National Infrastructure Strategy. Head of Relationship Development Robert Buckley and Head...

Regulation and policy

Ofgem “hands-on” in RIIO-2 as net zero route unfolds

During the next round of the RIIO price controls, Ofgem can be expected to take a more hands-on approach to outputs the networks are required to provide and the allowed revenues they can charge their users or consumers. This will have impacts for network development including the enabling of electric...

Announcement

Cornwall Insight strengthens its Board

Cornwall Insight, an award-winning international firm delivering comprehensive Insight that enables businesses, markets, and policymakers to succeed in the net zero transition, has further strengthened its Group Board. The company has appointed two new Non-Executive Directors, Dr. Kate Broughton, and Steve Jennings, in addition to Claire Skinner as a Special...

Regulation and policy

A look back at 2020 part 4

As we take our first steps into 2021, we take our final look back at the biggest developments in the UK energy markets in 2020, setting us up for the significant year ahead. Ofgem issued its decarbonisation Action Plan on 3 February as Jonathan Brearley became Ofgem CEO, setting out...

Low carbon generation

Divergent electricity prices in the wake of Brexit

On 1 January 2021, the UK left the European Union (EU) and as such is no longer part of the Internal Energy Market (IEM). While the UK and the EU agreed a post-Brexit Free Trade Agreement (FTA) on 24 December, outlining how energy markets, interconnectors and regulation will be affected,...

Regulation and policy

A look back at 2020 part 3

As we take our first steps into 2021, we continue to look back at the biggest developments in the UK energy markets in 2020, setting us up for the significant year ahead. The mergers and exits from the supply market that were seen in 2019 continued into 2020 and led...

Regulation and policy

Finding best practice in Ofgem’s compliance engagement outcomes

The past few months have involved a shake-up of the status quo for all of us, with the ramifications of COVID-19 having a disproportionate impact across society. Being an essential service, energy has been at the forefront of policy-makers minds as suppliers have sought to ensure that those most severely...

Power and gas networks

Understanding the backdrop of the UK hydrogen economy

We are delighted to publish our research note on the hydrogen sector: 'Understanding the backdrop of the UK hydrogen economy'. Serving as a primer for our upcoming series of hydrogen insight papers, we chart the UK’s progress in developing a hydrogen industry. In our paper, we cover essential developments in...

Energy storage and flexibility

The Rewire-NW project: delivering a Smart Local Energy System

The Rewire-NW project was launched in spring 2020. Led by Pure Leapfrog, the project is developing plans to create a Smart Local Energy System (SLES) with a focus on leading the town of Warrington towards Net Zero. Cornwall Insight is a key project partner in the project, providing regulatory and...

Low carbon generation

Analyse thy neighbour: Interconnectors and their importance to future power prices

Whilst we build towards 2021 and post-Brexit energy markets, focus has been applied to how we in GB strive towards net zero ambitions with a more independent policy agenda. However, regardless of future trading arrangements, interconnectors with EU nations will continue to play a pivotal role in driving wholesale power...

E-mobility and low carbon

New service shows Electric Vehicles role in net zero

As the ban of petrol and diesel vehicles looks set to be brought forward from 2040, electric vehicles (EVs) are increasingly the focus of the UK’s net zero journey. Last week the Labour party joined calls to bring the sale ban of new internal combustion engine (ICE) and hybrid vehicles...

Energy storage and flexibility

Network innovation: coordinating Active Network Management schemes and Balancing Services

The volume of generation connected to the distribution networks is increasingly rapidly. Cornwall Insight is part of a consortium developing an innovation project focusing on specific conflicts which this can create in the market, with the aim of developing learnings which can be applied in a broader context. Over 30GW...