In a statement released today, energy regulator Ofgem has announced it is to review its work plans for 2020 in light of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.
When contacted by Current± for further details, an Ofgem spokesperson said: “From Wednesday 25 March we will temporarily pause the publishing of new information on our website, with the exception of legally required releases only.”
The statement released by Ofgem goes on to detail that alongside legally required releases, there will be a “limited number” of critical updates as required and information relating to COVID-19. This will be in place until the review is completed.
The priority, Ofgem said, is to protect customers and those working in the energy industry, which means focusing on maintaining Britain’s “secure and reliable” energy supplies and addressing consumer needs, in particular the most vulnerable.
Its work plans span policy areas such as the feed-in-tariff, Renewable Energy Guarantees Origin certificates, the Smart Export Guarantee, Renewable Obligation Certificates, distribution and transmission of electricity and gas as well as licences, codes and standards amongst other areas.
Ofgem produces a Forward Work Programme each year, outlining its key priorities and activities to deliver its strategy. Its latest work programme – for 2019-2021 – was set to be refreshed in March 2020, with its four key priorities for this work programme being:
- Making retail markets work for all
- Enabling future markets and system arrangements
- Network preparedness and performance
- Excellence in our statutory and core functions
Current± has collated the responses of the UK energy industry to COVID-19, and sister sites PV Tech and Energy-storage.news are tracking all the updates for the global solar and storage industries respectively on live trackers.
