
22 May 2007
The UK's emission trading scheme is expected to cover as many as 5000 additional businesses by 2009 including supermarkets, hotel chains, banks and pubs.
A white paper to be published on Wednesday is expected to extend the UK’s emission trading scheme to include as many as 5000 additional businesses and public-sector bodies including supermarkets, hotel chains, banks, pubs and local authorities. While ministers have been keen to stress that no final decisions have been made, the scheme could be introduced in 2009.
Ministers are currently looking at energy thresholds and whether the scheme should cover as many as 5000 organisations with consumption above 3000 MWh or 1,200 businesses with annual consumption greater that 10,000 MWh. The paper will be accompanied by a repeat consultation on the merits of nuclear energy after a judge ruled that an earlier consultation document was seriously flawed.
The paper is expected to be Blair’s last big domestic policy announcement paving the way for new nuclear and renewables investment. Brown himself is said to favour emissions trading rather than taxation as a way of tackling climate change. If introduced, the move will see the UK go far beyond any other industrialised nations. What is certain at this stage is that what ever is published, it will be controversial.
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Herd Mentality Rules
 
29 June 2005
"Ever wondered why fund managers can't beat the S&P 500? Cause they're
sheep, and sheep get slaughtered." Wall Street  
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CRC- What Price?
 
03 February 2012
In November it was reported that traders in the UK energy markets were beginning to place bets that the Government will not go ahead with its controversial Carbon Floor Price. The Carbon Floor Price has relevance to the CRC, not least because some commentators have suggested that the fixed price levels could track the known Carbon Floor Price. Current EUA prices also seem vastly at odds to the proposed CRC price. British business is lobbying hard for a level and competitive playing field.  
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Carbon Floor Price Announcement: The Market Reacts
 
25 March 2011
The tensions seen in the markets last week, as participants assessed the impact of Japan and nuclear withdrawal in Germany, appeared to have eased when the market started trading on Monday. The Government's mid week budget Carbon Floor Price announcement soon changes that though  
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Japan, Germany & MENA -Global Energy
 
18 March 2011
Bullish gains were seen across the fuels complex as traders and analysts rushed to assess the impact of the devastating earthquake and subsequent Tsunami in Japan as well as Germany's announcement that it was to take 7 nuclear generators offline immediately.  
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Capacity Payments Discussed as a Tool to encourage Investment
 
30 June 2010
In a week when the engineering industry, in its State of the Nation report, said that the Energy Industry gave the most cause for concern in light of security of supply, Energy Minister Charles Hendry spoke of 'Capacity Payments' as a tool to incentivise plant development.  
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Winter 11 - A Slippery Slope
 
06 May 2011
While March was a month of shocks and gains, April seems to have marked the start of a downward trend in the UK power market. The WInter 11 contract is just one example.  
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Japan, Germany & MENA -Global Energy
 
18 March 2011
Bullish gains were seen across the fuels complex as traders and analysts rushed to assess the impact of the devastating earthquake and subsequent Tsunami in Japan as well as Germany's announcement that it was to take 7 nuclear generators offline immediately.  
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Centrica and BE - A Natural Fit?
 
27 August 2008
Invesco – the investment company that owns 15% of British Energy and 5% of Centrica has discussed with the Government the possibility of a merger between the two energy companies.  
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Solar in the UK - Not So Bright
 
01 November 2011
DECC has published the Comprehensive Feed-in Tariff (FiT) document and at the same time, many say, put a nail in the coffin for the Solar Industry in the UK. With the FiT rate for Solar Power to be cut by more than 50%, and with a proposal that eligibility to the scheme should be linked to a minimum energy efficiency requirement - many fear that this will be the end for the industry  
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Investing in the Future
 
11 June 2010
The Wave and Tidal energy sector gets nervous ahead of the E-budget, concerned that funds will suffer as part of anticipated public spending cuts. Should this sector suffer?  
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Labour's Pre Budget Report - Good News for the Bingo Players!
 
09 December 2009
Labour's Darling delivered his (probably last) pre budget report which included a range of measures to "tackle" the country's balance sheet. Among a range of tax raising measures, it was heartening to see that the Bingo players out there will see duty fall 2% to 20%!  
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2nd Quarter Growth at 1.1%; What Role For Energy
 
23 July 2010
Preliminary figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) suggests the UK economy grew by 1.1% in the second quarter, up from the previous quarter's 0.3%. While the figures are preliminary (and based on around 40% of the ultimate data), what they do show is that construction, a relatively small part of the economy, contributed significantly to this growth figure. With 6 out of 10 civil engineering firms looking to the energy and water sectors for their income streams, it seems energy has a role to play in underpinning the recovery.  
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Green Investment Bank still a Concept
 
16 July 2010
Leading figures from across industry warned that the need for new tools to finance future investment in infrastructure are necessary to secure Britain's growth as a low carbon economy. While the coalitions Green Investment Bank (GIB) is supported, it is important to recognise that it is still at present only a concept.  
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Suddenly it's "British Petroleum"
 
02 June 2010
A name not used in a very long time, but suddenly the US are quick to refer to BP by its old name of British Petroleum, hoping perhaps to distance itself from blame regarding the disastrous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. But as the US announces a criminal investigation and as BP shares suffer further should the British economy concern itself?  
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A Week for Releasing Figures
 
20 April 2010
With the political debate heating up; more 'head to heads' scheduled and with the News Channels pouring over polls, polls of polls and more polls - then the economic figures coming out this week are surely going to add a lot more ingredients to the boiling pot.  
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