Energy Market Design

  • Energy Market Design

    Energy market volatility remains evident amid a delicate geopolitical landscape

    Recent events, from the worker strikes at the Chevron-owned Wheatstone LNG facility in Australia to the Israel-Hamas conflict, have highlighted the potential for disruption to energy exports. The Wheatstone and nearby Gorgon facilities account for ~5% of global LNG supplies. Whilst Europe is not the recipient of notable volumes of...

  • Announcement

    Emissions intensity drops for October 2023

    From Cornwall Insight Australia’s NEM Market Analysis report This October saw a 12.6% reduction in total emissions (accounting for -1.18 Mt CO2-e reduction) as solar and wind generation has increased significantly. The reduction in emissions may continue with the arrival of Fly Creek and Rye Park wind farms expected soon...

  • Energy Market Design

    Are prices going to rise in Contracts for Difference Allocation Round 5?

    A number of factors may be about to put an end to the trend for falling energy prices in the Contracts For Difference (CfD) scheme. The CfD scheme has provided strong subsidy support whilst also providing consumers robust levels of protection. High investor confidence and steady reductions in capital costs...

  • Business supply and services

    Our response to the announcement of the Energy Bill Discount Scheme 

    The government have announced that the Energy Bill Relief Scheme (EBRS) will be replaced by a less supportive Energy Bill Discount Scheme (EBDS) from April 2023. The government have been managing expectations on reducing support levels for business energy costs now for several months and remain under pressure over control...

  • Energy Market Design

    Financing Net Zero: A (revenue) cap on UK merchant financing opportunities?

    On 13 October 2022, we hosted the latest instalment of our ‘Financing Net Zero’ webinar series. The session, sponsored by Shoosmiths, focused on opportunities and challenges for merchant financed renewable projects amid the current wholesale price volatility.   In recent years, due to the increasing success-rate and profitability of renewable projects,...

  • Energy Market Design

    Reform in haste, repent at leisure: squaring electricity market reform with investor confidence

    In April 2022, the attention in the market turned to REMA, a welcome opening of a necessary conversation on market reform. The risks here have always been about process as much as outcome and balancing interests and objectives. I penned this piece urging consideration is given to the time and...

  • Business supply and services

    Our initial response to the government energy announcement

    We welcome the government’s objective to address the affordability of energy for both domestic and business consumers in the UK. The policy announcements made today will alleviate some of the hardship consumers have been concerned about for many months.   On the household side of the equation, industry thinking is...

  • Energy Market Design

    How does REMA impact energy generation, flexibility and consumers?

    The Review of Electricity Market Arrangements (REMA) is the largest review programme of GB electricity market arrangements for a generation. It comes at a time when European energy markets are suffering extreme turmoil. Depending on the outcome there could be significant implications for generators, flexibility providers, and, indirectly, consumers. REMA...

  • Energy Market Design

    Short-term energy market interventions

    There is considerable concern about the availability and price of energy for this winter and those that follow.  Cornwall Insight has been contributing to the policy discourse through our widely-referenced domestic Default Tariff Cap analysis.  As prices continue to rise above what were considered unbelievable levels until recently, the signal from the market could not...

  • Energy Market Design

    REMA: electricity market design choices

    Electricity markets will serve as the foundation for the future GB energy system.  This article examines some of the market design decisions that will be considered by the Review of Electricity Market Arrangements (REMA). Market design goals At its most simple, a well-functioning market will attract enough potential “buyers” and...

  • Energy Market Design

    Can we fix the wholesale energy market this winter to lower prices and should we want to? 

    The Review of Electricity Market Arrangements (REMA) is intended to discuss and decide on appropriate market arrangements for 2035 in a Net Zero, low marginal cost, renewables-dominated market. It is unlikely it has the scope or capability to intervene in the market arrangements ahead of this winter. Therefore, some new interventions...