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industry & Government news

LEGAL BID TO STOP UK FROM BUILDING EUROPE’S

BIGGEST GAS-FIRED POWER PLANT FAILS

THE COURT OF APPEAL has thrown that major UK energy projects should not become a ‘carbon-negative’ business
out a legal challenge to the UK be rejected on climate grounds under the by 2030 back in 2019. Its plans for
government’s decision to grant current planning frameworks. meeting this target are centred around
planning permission for Drax’s major ClientEarth said in a statement switching from coal to biomass and
new gas-fired power plant. that this justification allows decision- then capturing emissions.
Environmental law firm ClientEarth makers to “hide behind planning policy Green groups, however, have argued
opened legal proceedings against the to justify business-as-usual approvals that Drax’s approach underestimates
government last January, arguing that of highly polluting projects”. However, the impact of the gas plant on a
emissions generated by the power the organisation will not be escalating national scale.
plant would take the UK beyond the case to the Supreme Court. The Court of Appeal’s decision is
the limits of its legally-binding Drax has repeatedly told members not, however, an automatic ‘go-ahead’
climate commitments, according of the press and public that its for the project. Drax has said it will
to the sustainability website edie. overarching ambition is to be removing, need to secure a capacity market
Considering the planned coal phase- not adding carbon to the atmosphere. contract from the government before
out and commitments around nuclear The firm announced a commitment to starting construction.
and renewable energy, ClientEarth
argued that the plant, in Yorkshire,
would account for up to 75 per cent
of the UK power sector’s annual
emissions once operational.
ClientEarth also pointed out that the
planning inspectorate recommended that
ministers refuse planning permission for
the 3.6GW gas plant on climate grounds.
Then BEIS Secretary Andrea Leadsom
went against this advice. ClientEarth’s
bid to sue the government was thrown
out by the High Court in May 2020 and
then by the Court of Appeal. DRAX IS PLANNING A MAJOR NEW
Representatives from the courts argued GAS-FIRED POWER PLANT

TWO MORE SUPPLIERS CLOSE LEAVING OVER according to Current±.
Since 2018, more than 20 suppliers
400,000 CUSTOMERS TO OFGEM’S SAFETY NET having shuttered including a number
in 2020, with Yorkshire Energy ceasing
to trade in December, Tonik Energy
in November, Effortless Energy in
September, and GnERGY in March.
Meanwhile others have also
struggled, with ten suppliers -
including the likes of aforementioned
Tonik and GnERGY - failing to meet the
late payment deadline for Renewable
Obligations (RO) having either gone
bust or had their license revoked.
Additionally, Ofgem issued final
orders to three suppliers who failed to
make their payments, and announced
IT’S A CHALLENGING MARKET a £100,000 fine for Symbio Energy
FOR SMALLER SUPPLIERS to send a “strong message” to others
about the importance of obligation
ANOTHER TWO POWER suppliers around 360,000 domestic customers payments, regardless of challenges
have ceased to trade, in what as well as a small number of non- caused by Covid-19. The burden
continues to be a challenging market domestic customers – and Simplicity of RO payments has been cited by
for smaller players. Energy – which provided gas and numerous collapsed suppliers as a
Green Network Energy – which electricity to around 50,000 domestic particular challenge for operating as a
provided gas and electricity to customers – have both ceased trading small supplier.

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11/02/2021 08:48
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News.indd 3 11/02/2021 08:48