SSE

  • Power and gas networks

    Electricity and gas tariffs on the rise in Ireland

    The majority of energy suppliers in the Republic of Ireland have enacted several price rises in one or both electricity and gas tariffs. Figures collated by Eurostat show in the latter half of 2020, Ireland already ranked fourth highest for electricity prices in the EU and seventh highest for gas...

  • 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...

  • 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...

  • Home supply and services

    The competition is on in the domestic energy market

    It is difficult to deny that the Big Six have faced significant competitive pressure in the domestic market over the course of the year. Despite the 11 domestic market exits recorded since January 2019, new entry, new propositions and revitalised sales channels have resulted in some of the highest switching...

  • Low carbon generation

    SSE to close unit at Fiddler’s Ferry

    SSE’s announcement to close a unit at its Fiddler’s Ferry coal-fired power station has come as little surprise as challenging market conditions continue for the technology, and the government remains committed to phasing out coal-fired generation by 2025. The Fiddler’s Ferry plant in Warrington, Cheshire, has a capacity of almost...

  • Low carbon generation

    When the Wild Wind Blows… time for offshore wind?

    On 22 January 2019, an announcement was made that ESB and Parkwind, which has been developing the Oriel Offshore Wind project off the coast of Louth, have entered into a partnership for the Oriel project, as well as ESB’s Clogherhead project. This has been a welcome announcement in light of...

  • Home supply and services

    Match abandoned: SSE and npower exemplify tough playing conditions in supply

    SSE has announced that the merger of its GB retail supply business with npower has been called off. It was clear that the deal was in trouble back in early November when SSE told the stock market that the terms of the merger were being re-negotiated. This was always a...

  • Announcement

    Cornwall Insight Response to MMO

    Ofgem has just put out its decision on the Market Making Obligation. The headline is that the regulator will not suspend this year the initiative that helps smaller parties access electricity wholesale products, but is likely to do so once the SSE/ Npower merger and the acquisition of Scottish Power’s...

  • Home supply and services

    Whiter than white supply?

    SSE and M&S Energy announced on 5 July that their nine-year domestic supply partnership had ended, with the contract formally expiring on 28 September 2018. Here we comment on the evolution of such white label partnerships in the domestic supply market, their successes, and the recent moves we’ve seen in...

  • Commercial and market outlook

    This week’s Energy Spectrum overview | 29 May 2018

    Energy Perspective In this week’s Energy Perspective, we look ahead to this summer, a period that we believe could prove to be ground-breaking in terms of testing some long-held theories about flexible power systems. With the electricity market in rapid in transition we explore a range of emerging market phenomena...

  • Low carbon generation

    Into the great wide open: evaluating Irish offshore wind

    Renewables growth in Ireland has been a story with one key protagonist – onshore wind. Its offshore cousin has not progressed beyond a single operational project – the 25MW Arklow Bank installation. This development lacuna has occurred despite the significant resource available offshore in Irish waters. The Strategic Environmental Assessment...

  • Commercial and market outlook

    This week’s Energy Spectrum overview | 30 April 2018

    In this week’s Energy Perspective, we explore how for storage the preference to move to the behind-the-meter proposition is increasing as the initial interest in grid-scale assets wavers. We argue that there are many good reasons for this trend, including the fact that it allows organisations to maximise revenues by...