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Sustainable Development – The Regulator’s
Role
31
March 2008
‘NORTHERN IRELAND SOCIETY IS NOT ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE
AND OUR UTILITIES CONTRIBUTE TO THIS PROBLEM’ SAYS REGULATOR
The Chief
Executive of the Utility Regulator, Iain Osborne, today said
that: ‘The developing science of climate change
shows clearly that Northern Ireland society is not environmentally
sustainable, and our utilities contribute to this problem’.
He was
commenting at the launch of a Utility Regulator’s
consultation document, ‘Sustainable Development – The
Regulator’s Role’. Mr Osborne pointed to the higher
ecological footprint of Northern Ireland relative to other
parts of the UK and the heavy reliance on fossil fuels as evidence
of the challenge for utility service providers in relation
to sustainable development.
Mr Osborne
stated that the Utility Regulator ‘has a
vital role to play’ in promoting sustainability:
“We are a main gate-keeper to infrastructure investment
in three sectors with high environmental impact i.e. gas electricity
and water. We intend through this consultation and the resulting
action plan to ensure that our own regulation contributes more
to sustainable development”.
The consultation document says that the Utility Regulator
has a role to play in promoting sustainability by gathering
and publishing more evidence, contributing its expertise and
experience to wider government policy and regulating differently.
A series of draft proposals are contained in the consultation
document for regulating differently. These proposals are:
- Creating
clarity for licence holders - (those companies who are licensed
by the Utility Regulator to provide utility
services) and customers regarding licence holder duties – considering
whether licencees should be required to have an environmental
policy and provide an annual report on sustainability initiatives
- Giving better information to customers – such as working
with licence holders to consider all options in relating
to presenting environmental information on bills and investigating
the use of Smart Meters
- Sending the Right Signals to Customers – working
with energy licence holders to assess tariff structures,
so that
they should not lead to increased energy consumption, and
with NIE and NIW to develop a transparent charging system
for new
dwellings and commercial premises which should encourage
greater energy efficiency and the use of renewable technology
- Electricity Networks and access for renewables – ensure
that processes and procedures equitably accommodate renewable
generation and ensuring – as part of all future gas
and electricity price controls - that capital expenditure
profiles
take due consideration of the effects of climate change on
networks
- Encouraging Energy efficiency – reviewing energy
efficiency delivery models, considering the development of
the Energy
Services Company model, where energy companies, rather than
simply supplying energy to individual homes, supply energy
services such as better energy efficiency measures. Working
with DETI and other stakeholders in relation to the implementation
of the energy services directive
- Gas Promotion – to develop a strategy that take into
consideration the advantages of gas as a low carbon fuel
- Water – to work with NIW and other environmental
regulators to consider the impact of climate change and identify
risks
and mitigating factors that can be developed into targets
for the water industry and appropriately including guidance
in
the NIW business cases on emissions and other water conservation
measures.
- Keeping our own house in order – adopt an internal
sustainability policy, establish an internal groups and publish
an internal sustainability report as part of the Utility Regulator’s
Annual Report.
The consultation is scheduled to last until 1 August 2008
and Mr Osborne is encouraging all those with an interest to
make their views known:
“ We want the consultation document to stimulate a debate
on issues that affect Northern Ireland’s utility consumers
both present and the future. Such a debate will focus on how
we can collectively contribute to addressing sustainable development
in a joined-up, concerted way.’
The paper
can be viewed by clicking on THIS
LINK or alternatively a paper copy can be
obtained by contacting Sarah Brady at the address below.
Copies of the document will be made available in large print,
Braille, audio cassette and a variety of relevant minority
languages if required.
NIAUR welcomes
comments, representations and objections on any
of the
proposals set out in the document and should
be sent, by 17:00 on 1August 2008 preferably in electronic
format to:
Sarah Brady
Social and Environmental Branch
Northern Ireland Authority for Utility Regulation
Queens House
Queen Street
Belfast
BT1 6ER
E-Mail: sarah.brady@niaur.gov.uk
Telephone: +44 2890 316642
Respondents should indicate clearly if any part of their response
should be treated confidentially.
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