Policy documents and consultations that CEE is considering making a response to are included below (listed in date order of responses required). Draft responses will be added to this page for member comments along with our final submissions. If you would like to input into any of our responses, please email us.
BEIS seeking input into a Green Recovery
The Secretary of State has been holding 'roundtables' with large economic stakeholders but welcomes input. See here for details and the 6 questions on which he is seeking input. Much is about 'investment' and 'infrastructure' and 'energy intensive industries.' The two most relevant to our sector are:
4. how can we more effectively support businesses across the economy in acting to access growing low carbon markets and support delivery of net zero? (e.g. innovation support, advice, regulatory barriers)
6. what actions should we take to ensure local and regional economies can effectively contribute to the net zero target?
We need to remind the government that they need everybody to be included in (justice) and contribute to (participation) the recovery and achieving net-zero.
Please email economic.recovery@beis.gov.uk copying in d.law@communityenergyengland.org
No stated deadline so asap.
CEE intends to make a short submission.
Treasury Committee relaunches decarbonisation of the UK economy and green finance inquiry
The previous Treasury Committee launched an inquiry into the decarbonisation of the UK economy and green finance on 5 June 2019.
The Treasury Committee has announced today that it is relaunching the inquiry to seek additional written evidence on how and whether the UK’s response to coronavirus should take the Government’s net zero carbon emissions by 2050 target into account.
The Committee would like additional evidence to address whether HM Treasury’s support packages to business should distinguish between companies based on how much they pollute, should HM Treasury be directly funding green infrastructure as part of its coronavirus spending package, and what policies should HM Treasury change due to coronavirus in order to facilitate the transition to meeting net zero.
Deadline for submissions ???
CEE is considering making a submission
Ofgem Request for Information for Access and Forward-Looking Charging Review
Ofgem is seeking information about the costs to the industry of implementing their shortlisted options in four policy areas:
- Definition and choice of access rights for transmission and distribution
- Distribution Use of System (DUoS) charges
- Distribution connection charging boundary
- Transmission Network Use of System (TNUoS) charges
The data and evidence collected will be used to develop their draft Impact Assessment.
Deadline 14 August
CEE is considering submitting a response.
Second Balancing Services Task Force interim report and consultation
The Task Force has initially concluded that “Final Demand” should pay all Balancing Services charges, subject to sufficient notice to industry prior to implementation. They also recommend that Balancing Services Charges should be recovered through a charge which is fixed ex ante. The Task Force as yet to recommend whether the charge should be volumetric (£/MWh) or per site (£/site).
The interim report and consultation pro forma are available here.
Deadline 26 August
Ofgem RIIO-2 Network Price Controls Consultation
Ofgem has set out their proposals for a five-year investment programme of £25bn, with potential for an additional £10bn or more, to transform Britain's energy networks to deliver emissions-free green energy for GB, whilst cutting the cost of this investment for consumers.
Deadline 4 September
CEE is considering submitting a response.
HM Treasury fundamental review of business rates: call for evidence
This call for evidence seeks views on how the business rates system currently works, issues to be addressed, ideas for change and a number of alternative taxes.
HMT is seeking responses in two phases. Views are sought on the multiplier and reliefs sections, by 18 September, to inform an interim report in the Autumn. Responses on all other sections are invited by 31 October, ahead of the review’s conclusion in Spring 2021.
CEE will be submitting a response.
Energy Networks Association Flexibility Consultation
Beginning in late July and running for 8 weeks, the Energy Networks Association's Flexibility Consultation seeks views and thoughts from across the entire industry on the work they are doing with local flexibility markets. They have stated that getting a strong response from community groups is really important to their future work on flexibility.
Comprehensive Spending Review
The Chancellor has launched the 2020 Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR). The Review, which will be published in the autumn, will set UK Government departments’ resource budgets for the years 2021/22 to 2023/24 and capital budgets for the years 2021/22 until 2024/25. HMT has opened a process for the Comprehensive Spending Review to allow external stakeholders to submit representations.
Date for the conclusion of the review tbc.
CEE intends to submit a representation
Regional Consultations
Electricity North West is inviting stakeholders to review and comment on its annual Distribution Future Energy Scenarios (DFES) document. Deadline for input is 7 August at 6pm.
Electricity North West is also inviting stakeholders to feed into plans for the electricity network across the North West. Access to the three consultation documents - 'DSO strategy, 'Analysis of DSO functions' and 'Grid digitalisation and data strategy' can be found here. Deadline for input is 9 September 2020.