Head to Head: CfD vs RESS

2022 has been busy for renewable developers in Great Britain and Ireland, with both the fourth allocation round of the Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme and the second round of the Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS) concluding this summer.

We compared the latest results of the CfD and RESS schemes to better understand the differences in how Great Britain and Ireland are supporting low carbon generation.

Related thinking

Regulation and policy

Government Announces Record Budget for Contracts for Difference Allocation Round 6

The government has released the budget and reference prices, along with the auction parameters, for the upcoming Contract for Difference (CfD) Allocation Round 6 (AR6). As recently reported, there were considerable questions outstanding about the parameters which will be used in the auction and significant pressure was placed on AR6...

Low carbon generation

Learning curves and the many moving parts of the CfD Auctions

Learning curves are an important part of the toolbox of energy system modelling, representing the benefits of learning by doing and the economies of scale. The learning rate describes how as production doubles capacity cost reduces, so a learning rate of 15% would imply that as production doubles, costs would...

Announcement

2022/23 Australian energy insights report

Analytics on key current developments in the Australian energy industry Cornwall Insight Australia has released its latest compilation of Australian energy insights, charts, and analyses. The report includes the topics of energy storage and flexibility, generation (all technologies), power prices, low carbon generation, FCAS, policy and regulation, electric vehicles, and...

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...

E-mobility and low carbon

2022’s most exciting ‘Charts of the Week’

Some of our team have looked back throughout 2022 and picked their most exciting ‘Chart of the Week’.​Their choices include exploring green tariffs, wholesale gas prices, CfD allocation round 4 and the MHHS Implementation Levy.  It’s My Birthday – Two years of Dynamic Containment Picked by Tom Faulkner, Head of...

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,...

Regulation and policy

Government to consult on the introduction of Cost-Plus-Revenue Limit

The government issued its Energy Prices Bill on 12 October. The bill will put in law a number of the already-announced mechanisms that will be used to support households and businesses this winter including the Energy Price Guarantee and the Energy Bill Relief Scheme. Also announced alongside this is the...

Energy storage and flexibility

From zero to hero: Can CfDs split markets and reduce costs this winter?

Given media comment on the imposition of a revenue cap for low carbon generators instead of migration of existing projects onto a CfD, please find below a blog published by Cornwall Insight three weeks ago. Not only did this note the possibility of the revenue cap being a fall back...