Our Insight papers offer detailed and evidence-based thought leadership on key market characteristics. They are designed to provide thought-provoking perspectives and recommendations as well as contribute to industry debates. Through a combination of in-depth industry knowledge and practical experience, our Insight papers will help you keep up-to-date with the latest developments in the market.
Regulation and policy
Understanding policy impact on the cost to the consumers of renewable development in Northern Ireland Cornwall Insight Ireland’s report for RenewableNI finds that appropriate support for renewable generation in Northern Ireland can be expected to reduce overall cost to consumer. The Department for the Economy (DfE) is in the process...
Power and gas networks
As we look ahead to a second winter with heavily reduced levels of Russian pipeline gas being supplied to Europe, one of the key variables in the stability and security of European gas supplies and prices will be the supply of Liquified Natural Gas (LNG). In this paper, we discuss...
Net zero corporates and ESG
The focus of this research report is on the strategic measures that businesses can take to decarbonise their energy usage, with more practical measures discussed in Cornwall Insight’s published insight papers, “A corporate’s guide to decarbonising power” and “Business net zero: Making progress in a challenging economy”. This research centred...
Regulation and policy
This report explores the potential to enable the decarbonisation of the GB energy system and meeting net zero ambitions through evolutionary reforms to the transmission charging and constraint management arrangements. Cornwall Insight is an independent energy consultant with extensive experience in market and policy analysis. This report was produced by...
Regulation and policy
This report is an introduction to changes in the energy market. It has been written in a way that is easy to understand for people who are not familiar with the topics. Energy is critical to all sectors of the economy, and this report provides a high-level overview of the...
Home supply and services
In order for the UK to meet its commitment to a net zero economy by 2050, all sectors will be required to reduce their carbon emissions. In this paper, we set out some of the main options for decarbonising heat and power in the healthcare sector, and the typical advantages...
Home supply and services
The research underpinning this report aims to understand the financial and environmental benefits of household flexibility for consumers and the national energy system. We have analysed the difference between a scenario where households participate in flexibility, and one where they don't. Our analysis covers three time periods (2025, 2030 and...
Energy storage and flexibility
As the UK transitions towards net zero, the increasing share of the energy generation mix coming from renewables is resulting in greater intermittency of generation, leading to a growing system need for flexible dispatch solutions. Produced in conjunction with DLA Piper, this report provides a background to energy storage and...
Low carbon generation
Using exclusive insights from our new North West Europe Benchmark Power Curve, our insight paper assesses the impact of the energy crisis on Germany’s net zero ambitions and attainment. Current and future policy decisions are unpacked and evaluated to determine their impact on the net zero investment landscape, with the...
Low carbon generation
Though this is not the original intention of the REGO scheme, REGOs have increasingly become seen as a mechanism to provide support to increase the build-out of renewable generation in GB. This report therefore examines the question “has trading in REGOs provided an effective incentive for investment in new renewable...
Regulation and policy
Soaring inflation and interest rates, combined with supply chain issues and labour shortages, have pushed up the cost of capital and increased the costs needed to finance renewable projects. With the latest round of the Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme set to open to applications this month many in the...
Power and gas networks
In December 2022, we published our insight paper, Another winter of discontent? What happens to the UK this winter, and next, if the gas taps from Russia stay turned off? discussing concerns for European and UK gas supply during winters 2022-23 and 2023-24, and the key variables that could influence...
Business supply and services
In light of the financial pressures faced by enterprises from rising inflation and interest rates, tight supply chains and labour markets, alongside high energy bills, this paper investigates to what extent decarbonisation is still a priority for corporates and how progress towards net zero has been impacted by recent developments....
Home supply and services
Smart meters have the potential to play a critical role in energy security, providing near real-time information through a visual in-home display, empowering consumers to change how much energy they use and when they use it. If consumers reduce or shift their energy consumption away from peak periods, they may...
Power and gas networks
Substantial reductions in Russian gas supply to Europe and increased global competition for LNG cargoes have resulted in substantially elevated gas prices for the UK this winter (2022-23) compared to the historical norm. Our forecasts indicate that this could not be a single winter problem, with tight supply and high...
Business supply and services
With the energy crisis squeezing the budgets of households and businesses, an increasing number of customers are struggling to meet their bills, despite the Energy Price Guarantee (EPG) and other forms of support provided by the Government. As millions more people fall into fuel poverty, energy suppliers’ bad debt –...
Energy storage and flexibility
As the UK transitions to net zero, the energy generation mix will become increasingly dominated by intermittent renewable generators, thus promoting a need for greater flexibility within the energy system. Setting up a new site, especially for storage assets, is currently a long and often costly process. Co-location is where...
Home supply and services
In its first month in office, the Truss Government has introduced policies to addressthe cost of the energy crisis. On the domestic front, the Energy Price Guarantee(EPG) has been implemented as a support scheme for households due from 1October 2022 and for the next two winters. In this paper, our...
Energy storage and flexibility
Recent challenges have emphasised the recurring importance of the energy trilemma, namely the need to decarbonise the energy system while ensuring energy security and affordability. The government announced its Review of Electricity Market Arrangements (REMA) in April 2022 to address these issues. In July, the government published a consultation paper...
Low carbon generation
MCS Charitable Foundation (“MCS”) in its charity goal of decarbonising homes, heat and energy has commissioned us to calculate the costs of blue and green hydrogen, based on current and projected gas prices. This report sets out our methodology for this forecast, and our findings in terms of delivered prices...
Business supply and services
The challenging gas supply situation and record-high electricity prices are putting considerable pressures on the GB economy as we enter winter 2022-23. Unfortunately, as the winter approaches, wholesale energy prices are set to rise even further, constraining the growth of businesses that were starting to recover from the scars of...
E-mobility and low carbon
At the back end of 2020, the government published a plan to put an end to the sale of new petrol and diesel cars in the UK by the end of the decade. While welcome news for many, this target – the most ambitious in the G7 – brought into...
Low carbon generation
From 6 April 2022 it has become mandatory for over 1,300 of the largest UK-registered companies to disclose their climate-related financial information in line with the Taskforce on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) recommendations. As part of this, all corporations on the Financial Conduct Authority’s Official List (are “listed”) are required...
Low carbon generation
Contributors from Womble Bond Dickinson: Richard Cockburn, Chris Towner, Matt Lewy, Anthony Alderman, Vicki Redman, Simon Hughes, Sebastian Briggs, Lisa Rushton, Belton Zeigle The United Kingdom is well placed to play a key role in global efforts to dramatically reduce carbon emissions over the coming decades. An urgent need to...
Business supply and services
This report outlines the challenges that energy intensive industries (EIIs) face in decarbonising their heat supply, (currently dominated by natural gas) by switching to grid-supplied electricity. The paper has been sponsored by the Confederation for Paper Industries (CPI) and therefore has a particular focus. However, many of the challenges highlighted...
Low carbon generation
With climate change high on the agenda, many countries are looking at decarbonising their electricity generation and incorporating more renewable generation into their electricity systems. This research snapshot focuses on energy market design in Great Britain (GB), Ireland and Australia, considering what is being done to adapt to the changing...
Home supply and services
Ireland has an ambitious vision to reach net zero by 2050, and decarbonising residential heating is a significant challenge. This report examines the potential for hydrogen-based heating solutions in decarbonising residential heating in Ireland.On comparing the various options of using hydrogen for domestic heating in Ireland, hydrogen blending in the...
Business supply and services
A corporate power purchase agreement (or CPPA) is an agreement between a generator and a corporate end-user. Typically, it will set out pre-agreed volumes, contract length and price, which will be on a bespoke basis. The energy is delivered over the public network, so the negotiations are essentially about appropriately...
Low carbon generation
In our latest short research paper, we consider policy options and solutions for the building and repowering of assets across GB, Ireland, and Australia. While technology can be uitilised to optimize renewable energy assets and extend their life, the components and materials from decommissioned assets can be refurbished, reused or...
