Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

David Watson @davidawatson.bsky.social · 2d

Barriers remain to using old EV batteries as stationary storage, including pricing, performance and safety...

...it would be genuinely amazing to unlock this potential in the coming years. buff.ly/KchbLLF

David Watson @davidawatson.bsky.social · 2d

Govt is proposing changes to the way the Capacity Market is run, including the ability for battery operators to self-declare capacity to allow for asset degradation through its life. Consultation below, runs to end November 👇https://buff.ly/UD2NaDo

David Watson @davidawatson.bsky.social · 2d

You'll recall this was the scheme initially blocked by government and opposed by the Ministry of Defence, but then put through on appeal.

David Watson @davidawatson.bsky.social · 2d

Yet more problems for the Aquind interconnector project as French authorities refuse it a maritime concession buff.ly/ol6lxrp

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David Watson @davidawatson.bsky.social · 3d

Forecast increases in transmission network costs are causing concern amongst UK businesses.

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David Watson @davidawatson.bsky.social · 3d

A vision of our future here from Spain: Between January and September this year, solar producers faced 693 hours of negative or zero power prices, reaching the total for last year.

Storage and flexibility are crucial to sustained renewable deployment.

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David Watson @davidawatson.bsky.social · 3d

High UK energy costs are central to the discussion on the future of energy policy right now.

In that context, INEOS announces loss of 20% of jobs at its acetyls plant in Hull on the back of high energy prices and 'unfair' international competition.

INEOS to cut UK acetyls plant workforce by 20% on high energy costs, cheap imports

Individual news pages

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David Watson @davidawatson.bsky.social · 3d

Some mechanism to compare DNO actions would be welcome...

...but let's resist the urge to layer on a lot of governance and regulation. It just adds cost.

I've been here before. It rarely seems to justify the benefits.
utilityweek.co.uk/citizens-adv...

DNOs slammed over 'lack of consistency' in vulnerability strategy reporting - Utility Week

Citizens Advice has slammed the six distribution network operators (DNOs) for the lack of consistency in the way they report their vulnerability strategies. The lack of consistency makes it “almost…

utilityweek.co.uk

David Watson @davidawatson.bsky.social · 4d

New from Ember: renewable energy sources generated more electricity than coal globally for the first time in the first half of 2025, driven by rapid growth in China and India. buff.ly/hPI9f5i

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David Watson @davidawatson.bsky.social · 4d

Some interesting behind the scenes footage / updates from Hinkley Point C here in this update from developers EDF. buff.ly/RjX5AEq

Latest ‘Insider Tour’ of Hinkley Point C released - MM Media

At Hinkley Point on the Somerset coast, one of the most ambitious infrastructure projects in Europe continues to take shape. Hinkley Point C, the UK's first new nuclear power station in a generation,…

www.machinery-market.co.uk

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David Watson @davidawatson.bsky.social · 10d

For years the expectation has been that we'd see growth in the prices of commodities such as copper, lithium and cobalt as low carbon energy demand takes hold. Now some are calling a surplus driven price fall as demand struggles to catch up with capacity build-outs.

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David Watson @davidawatson.bsky.social · 10d

For the first time, last week, China set an absolute carbon reduction target, aiming to reduce CO2 emissions by 7 to 10 percent across the entire economy by 2035 from peak levels.

Details in this write up:

Breaking Down China's 2035 Climate Pledges

China's 2035 climate pledges set a modest 7–10% economy-wide CO2 cut that is likely to be exceeded, signaling tighter rules for businesses.

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David Watson @davidawatson.bsky.social · 11d

TotalEnergies announce sale of 50% of US solar portfolio, £1bn/year capex reduction and purchase of 49% of upstream US gas assets. Pressure to reduce net debt-to-equity ratios, possible further divestments to follow.

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David Watson @davidawatson.bsky.social · 11d

Ovo is looking at following in Octopus' steps and selling its technology arm - Kaluza - at a "unicorn" valuation.

Energy group Ovo plots sale of stake in software arm Kaluza

Britain's fourth-biggest home energy supplier has appointed Arma Partners to explore the sale of a further stake in Kaluza as it seeks to fortify its balance sheet, Sky News learns.

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David Watson @davidawatson.bsky.social · 11d

The thing I don't understand about US energy policy, aside from decarbonisation, is that they need to build *a lot* of new generation capacity and network to meet demand.

The economy will be impacted.

You can't build enough gas/coal plant in time.

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David Watson @davidawatson.bsky.social · 11d

We absolutely need to find a way for gas to power asset owners to earn a return in a market with lower load factors. But the current system isn't working for anyone. Reform is needed to ensure value and system resilience.

Profiteers or keeping the lights on? The power plants that make millions a day

Concerns over whether gas generators are making fair profits are prompting fresh proposals to reform the system

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David Watson @davidawatson.bsky.social · 11d

I tend to agree. I'm not a supporter of the price cap and would prefer it went.

I'd not be putting any money on that happening at any point in the coming years however.

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David Watson @davidawatson.bsky.social · 11d

I can think of several people I've met who would bristle at the idea they have been manipulated by people with a lot of cash and a particular political agenda.

We'll be better engaging on the facts and not characterisations.

David Watson @davidawatson.bsky.social · 11d

I'm as up for arguing against those undermining decarbonisation as the next person...

...however suggesting it's the work of "right-wing billionaires" risks playing into the hands of those who seek to play on the doubts and concerns of ordinary people.

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Labour must fight rightwing billionaires undermining net zero, says Ed Miliband

Exclusive: Energy secretary will hit out at the Tory and Reform ‘culture war’ and unveil target of 400,000 new jobs in clean energy

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David Watson @davidawatson.bsky.social · 11d

Iberdrola to focus bulk of its €58bn investment on UK and US - 35% here, focus on networks and renewables (£)

Iberdrola to focus bulk of its €58bn investment on UK and US

Spanish energy group takes advantage of state-level decisions in US and hails ‘evolution’ of UK regulator Ofgem

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David Watson @davidawatson.bsky.social · 11d

One slight worry I have is that the ToU world effectively becomes 'off-cap' and the price cap exists for disengaged customers. But if set too tightly the cap will then act as a brake or comfort blanket, stifling innovation and demand-side take up.

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David Watson @davidawatson.bsky.social · 11d

Once you put in price controls they are very hard, politically, to remove. New York rent controls are another case in point. I think we'll have some form of energy price cap for years to come.

It will need fundamentally redesigning for a ToU world though.

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David Watson @davidawatson.bsky.social · 11d

It will get better, but demand side will never be enough. The volume of demand on their customer book is massive.

Dogger Bank is owned by SSE, Equinor and Vårgrønn. Shell are (I think) providing Octopus with access to the generation.

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David Watson @davidawatson.bsky.social · 11d

Orsted in talks to sell half of huge UK wind farm to Apollo (£)

Orsted in talks to sell half of huge UK wind farm to Apollo

The US investment giant is eyeing a 50 per cent stake in the Danish energy company’s £8.5 billion Hornsea 3 project off the Yorkshire coast

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David Watson @davidawatson.bsky.social · 12d

Two CCS projects have been chosen to receive govt funding, one at Heidelberg Materials' cement factory and one at Protos' waste-to-energy plant in Ellesmere Port in north-west England.

1.2mtCO2/yr potential.

The UK has signed contracts for two carbon capture and storage projects

These are two commercial initiatives that will become part of the HyNet cluster

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