Commercial and market outlook

  • Commercial and market outlook

    Cliff-hanger: supplier new entry in volatile markets

    The extraordinary developments that have occurred in the energy sector in recent months have led to a tumultuous time for all participants. We have taken a look back through our archives to where we highlighted our concerns a number of years ago that this outcome was, unfortunately, a real possibility. This...

  • Commercial and market outlook

    COP26 what has happened so far

    If you have missed any of COP26, we have summarised some of the latest news so far. Stay up to date with the latest updates across the energy sector with our Daily Bulletin. In addition, next week’s Energy Spectrum will feature full analysis and commentary on the COP26 announcements. To...

  • Commercial and market outlook

    What’s happened at COP26 so far

    We’ve summarised the latest news so far from COP26. The latest updates can be found in our Daily Bulletin, and our insight and commentary in our weekly Energy Spectrum. Find out more here PM addresses World Leaders at COP26 Summit Opening Ceremony The Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, spoke at the...

  • Commercial and market outlook

    As the dark nights draw in and temperatures drop, it is not the time to take the foot off the pedal: fundamental change is needed to steer out of the energy crisis

    This article was originally written as a Nutwood in Energy Spectrum. Find out more about Energy Spectrum and request a free trial here. Author: Sharon Darcy Sharon Darcy, Director of Sustainability First, raises six questions that need to be addressed if we are going to get the fundamental change needed...

  • Commercial and market outlook

    Be the change you want to see – my takeaway from this year’s BIEE conference

    On 13 September, I spoke at the British Institute of Energy Economics (BIEE) Energy for a net zero society conference. The conference considered the legacy of the Covid pandemic and how the means of recovery will influence the pace and direction of the net zero transition. The timing of the...

  • Commercial and market outlook

    How can research help: what is the gap in understanding that should be addressed most urgently?

    In the last two decades, the debate around addressing climate change has rightly focused on identifying – and supporting – the most suitable technologies to decarbonise our economies. Consequently, significant progress has been achieved in the decarbonisation of the power sector. However, as the priority is now to decarbonise hard-to-abate...

  • Commercial and market outlook

    The digital transition and its lessons for the energy sector

    Digitalisation of data is happening across all sectors globally. It has become pivotal to developing, modernising and transforming sectors from banking to healthcare. With COP26 on the horizon, a net zero target by 2050 enshrined in UK law and the sixth carbon budget aiming to reduce emissions by 78% by...

  • Commercial and market outlook

    Evaluating the benefits of local coordination mechanisms in power supply

    In March, Cornwall Insight launched its new Energy Spectrum Europe publication in collaboration with the Institute of Energy Economics at the University of Cologne (EWI). Below is an extract of our Energy Perspective article from our latest issue, written by Konstantin Gruber and Nils Namockel from EWI. Local forms of coordination are...

  • Announcement

    Women in the energy sector: Enabling progress at Cornwall Insight

    Today, the campaigning group POWERful Women* (PfW) will launch its 2021 statistics on gender diversity at the top of the UK energy sector (register here).  Like many of you, I will watch with interest to see how the picture has evolved: last year it reported 13% of executive board directors in...

  • Commercial and market outlook

    Data centres predicted to become prosumers of electricity

    In combination with Cornwall Insight and Bit Power, Host in Ireland published its Biannual report of Ireland’s Data Hosting Industry. The report highlights the importance of sustainability in Ireland’s digital transformation. The report confirmed the number of operational data centres in Ireland increased by 25 per cent over the past...

  • Commercial and market outlook

    Heat pumps and peak power demand in North-West Europe in 2030

    In March Cornwall Insight launched its new Energy Spectrum Europe publication in collaboration with the Institute of Energy Economics at the University of Cologne (EWI). Below is an extract of our Energy Perspective article from our latest issue, written by Nils Namockel from EWI.  Heat pumps powered by green electricity...

  • 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...

  • Commercial and market outlook

    Celebrate with us: Our one year anniversary of Australian ‘Charts of the week’!

    To celebrate our Australian ‘Chart of the week’ one year anniversary, we’ve compiled our top four selection below! One | Guess who’s back… Batteries are back… back again This ‘Chart of the week’ was an update to a previous ‘Chart of the week’ released back in October 2019. We looked at the...

  • Commercial and market outlook

    ESB charts direction for changes to the NEM

    The below extract has been taken from our eighth edition of ‘Energy Spectrum Australia’, and if you would like to read more about the latest developments in the Australian energy market, please contact enquiries@cornwall-insight.com.au for a free trial of our ‘Energy Spectrum Australia’ service. The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) has provided an...

  • Commercial and market outlook

    In the midst of the Australian Energy Transformation Process

    Australia is in the midst of an energy supply and distribution transformation. This transition is twofold and includes not just bridging the gap from conventional fossil fuels to renewable technologies (due to their reduced carbon footprint, lower levelized cost of energy and improved reliability levels by comparation), but also requires...

  • 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...

  • 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....

  • 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...

  • Commercial and market outlook

    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...

  • Commercial and market outlook

    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,...

  • Business supply and services

    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...

  • Commercial and market outlook

    A look back at 2020 part 2

    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 COVID-19 crisis had a pronounced impact on demand and prices throughout the year. At the height of...

  • Commercial and market outlook

    A look back at 2020

    As we take our first steps into 2021, we look back at the biggest developments in the UK energy markets in 2020, setting us up for the significant year ahead. As 2019 turned into 2020, we were still waiting for the Energy White Paper (EWP), a document which had been...

  • Commercial and market outlook

    SEM articles of the year: All I want for Christmas is RESS-2

    With COVID-19 dominating our everyday lives, we saw similar trends in our most popular articles for the year. Demand shifts were observed in domestic and industrial settings with working patterns shifting from offices to homes all around the country. It was also a landmark year for the renewables industry with...

  • Announcement

    Cornwall Insight comments on the Energy White Paper

    Commenting on the government's release of the Energy White Paper, which sets out plans to decarbonise the UK's energy system, Gareth Miller, CEO of Cornwall Insight, said: “The Energy White Paper maps out the biggest change to the energy markets since the Electricity Act of 1989. Many of the headlines...

  • Commercial and market outlook

    The PM’s 10-point plan: Further thoughts from our Energy Spectrum webinar

    In our regular Energy Spectrum webinar on Tuesday 24 November, Senior Writer Nick Palmer and Head of Relationship Development Robert Buckley discussed the government’s 10-point plan for a green industrial revolution. They considered what has led to this point, what is in the plan, what the reaction was to it...

  • Commercial and market outlook

    Quick take on the Spending Review and National Infrastructure Strategy

    Fresh from last week’s 10 Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution and yesterday’s 2021 CFD auction plans, the Treasury has earlier today issued its Spending Review 2020 and alongside the much-anticipated National Infrastructure Strategy (NIS). Both flesh out the commitments made in the 10 Point Plan and, in the...

  • Commercial and market outlook

    The PM’s 10-point plan

    Late yesterday evening, Prime Minister Boris Johnson set out his much-trailed 10-point plan for a green industrial revolution. In the plan, he announced a series of new funding and ambition announcements covering transport, hydrogen, energy efficiency, carbon capture, offshore wind, nuclear and green finance. Transport For transport, the PM announced long-term...

  • Announcement

    15 years of Energy Spectrum and the Daily Bulletin

    We have just passed a notable landmark with the 15th anniversary of the launch of the Energy Spectrum Service. Things started with the first Daily Bulletin on 13 September 2005 – the main news on that day was E.ON UK applying for planning to build a CCGT at Drakelow. It...

  • Business supply and services

    Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose: the RO late payment deadline

    Today (11 November 2020) Ofgem has confirmed that there will be mutualisation of the 2019-20 Renewables Obligation. On Monday, in our 'Energy Spectrum' Perspective, we explained to customer’s why this was important and likely and what it means for the energy industry. Find out more about a free trial to Energy...