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Background: 2022 marks a decade since the profession of podiatry secured independent prescribing rights in the UK. Widely viewed as a significant milestone, its advent appeared to herald a new age of practice, with increased autonomy, a broader scope of practice and improved patient care. Access to any medicine within the British National Formulary (with a few notable exceptions) seemed to signal an end to the perennial difficulties and frequent disappointments in obtaining ease of access to medicines necessary for effective practice. Main body: Recent attempts to expand the scope of prescribing practice to include access to a broader range of controlled drugs (CDs) have led to unanticipated complications which may even threaten existing rights. These issues highlight the limitations of current independent prescribing and the continuing inability of podiatrists to access certain key medicines, primarily controlled drugs. Reliance on specified 'lists' of approved medicines, whether a controlled drug list for prescribers or the use of statutory exemptions by non-prescriber podiatrists, remain inflexible and difficult to change. The data underpinning much of this paper is derived from the work undertaken by the authors as representatives of podiatry on NHS England's Chief Professions' Officers' Medicines project, in particular involving submissions to the Commission on Human Medicines and the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Medicines, spanning the years 2017–2021. It describes a complex process, and highlights a misalignment between two legislative frameworks that threaten to unravel existing rights. Short conclusion: Ongoing difficulties relating to controlled drugs illustrate the problematic nature of current supply, administration and prescribing rights in podiatry. Efforts to keep pace with periodic legal reclassifications of medicines are constrained by limited and inflexible legal mechanisms, and formal approval for extended access via prescribing remains unpredictable and complex. For prescriber and non-prescriber1 (1Non- prescriber podiatrists are those who are neither supplementary or independent prescribers, but do enjoy existing administration and supply rights to certain medicines.) podiatrists alike, the profession of podiatry faces a new challenge to its ability to access medicines, and to realise its full clinical potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article replies to the comments made by Ian Jones on the article "Distortions in Electricity Pricing in the UK." Jones raised a number of points, most of which the authors believe are tangential to the central argument of their 1983 paper. The article suggests that the issues involved are of considerable importance for electricity pricing policy. The authors emphasized that their paper focused on whether the Bulk Supply Tariff is being constructed in a consistent way, given the Central Electricity Generating Board's own declared policy of long-run marginal cost pricing.

Due to air quality concerns and stricter carbon targets, surface transport electrification is quickly spreading, posing questions on the impact it will have on national and local electrical networks. This paper proposes an agent-based model to assess the per-minute weekday and weekend impact of the uptake of Electric Vehicles (EVs) over the next decade on local electrical and charging infrastructures, aimed at local decision-makers and stakeholders for transport electrification forecasting purposes. This study compares two scenarios, the first assessing the case where no restrictions are imposed on the daily charging events, and the second scenario where the peak electrical demand period between 5pm and 8.30pm is constrained for charging. Swindon Borough is selected as case study since it has one of UK's highest EV adoption rates and has ambitious aims for decarbonisation. The results show that, over time, scenario two consistently lessened the constraints imposed on the grid by lowering the weekday and weekend peak loads up to 7% and 20%, respectively, and through lowering the usage rate of the charging infrastructure by around 12%. This scenario postponed the 5pm to 8.30pm EV charging demand to later hours, resulting in delayed load waves in residential areas that, over time, took values of higher proportion of the daily peak, forecasted to match it by 2036. However, controlling the EV demand through this strategy became less effective over time, and so, constraining charging between 7am and 2.30pm is suggested for further control. To conclude, this scenario can be portrayed in reality by adding flexibility to the grid, through the use of time-of-use tariffs (TOUTs), hence, if well implemented, postponing the upgrade of the grid and the charging infrastructure, presenting savings to the network operator, charging network stakeholders and EV users. The paper thus highlights the advantages of using a model of a heterogeneous population with fine spatial and temporal detail to provide decision-support to key stakeholders in planning energy transitions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the accommodation of renewable energy and privatisation of electric supply industry in Europe. It states that the energy accommodation would incur big costs, while the industry privatization would allow the industry to become competitive, diverse, and would prompt low electricity prices. The article also discusses consequences of the privatization, electric generation technologies, and electric supply network in Great Britain.

In this paper, we develop an agent-based model of a market game in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the U.K. government's 2008-2010 policy on promoting smart metering in the U.K. retail electricity market. We break down the policy into four possible policy options. With the model, we study the impact of the four policy options on the dynamics of smart metering diffusion and suggest policy implications. The context of the paper is a practical application of agent-based simulation to the retail electricity market in the United Kingdom. The contributions of the paper are both in the areas of policymaking for the promotion of innovation diffusion in the electricity market and in methodological use of agent-based simulation for studying the impact of policies on the dynamics of innovation diffusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The UK Government is committed to providing 10% of the country's electricity supplies from renewable energy sources by the year 2010, and has set a target of 20% by 2020. The steps by which these goals could be achieved will clarify their planning implications and hence prospect of being realised. Hydroelectric power brought electricity to many world communities for the first time and some still depend heavily upon it. Most others, like those in the UK, long ago had to look elsewhere for supplies as demand outstripped the potential of this source. The World Bank is now exploring the prospects for adding significantly to the capacity of hydroelectric power in countries with unexploited resources. Renewed interest in hydroelectric power comes as a direct result of international concern about the effects on the environment of burning fossil fuels. However, not all hydroelectric projects have been blemish free. The purpose of this paper is to review this aspect of the hydroelectric industry as it relates to upland run-of-river projects-the aim being to establish how governments can best look to this form of hydroelectric power to meet some part of their renewable energy targets. The ever more stringent and strongly precautionary approach to new projects of all types being taken by the regulatory bodies is significant in this respect. It is concluded that the commonly-voiced message that the development potential of hydroelectric power in the UK is exhausted merits careful re-examination in view of the fact that historic schemes were intended for a variety of purposes, not all of which are pertinent to current requirements. In particular, just as changing circumstances have encouraged the growth of the `no-storage' windpower industry, so too has hydroelectric power moved from a dependence on reservoirs to the `take-it-as-you-find-it' run-of-river solution. The present political will for economic solutions to the growing international energy dilemma is also a new factor, upland run-of-river schemes often providing viable solutions for electricity production when assessed against all criteria. This paper focuses on the environmental issues that are likely to arise when assessing this type of project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT The privatization of the British electricity supply industry (ESI) in the late 1980s and early 1990s was associated with a transformation in electricity generation technology. In a sudden and unexpected 'dash for gas', previously unused combined cycle gas turbine plant was adopted for all new large power stations. Gas turbine technology, politically and institutionally excluded from the industry before privatization, gained ascendancy due to the coincidence and interaction of FSI liberalization with lower fuel prices and greater availability, improved turbine performance, pollution abatement legislation, and the manifestation of institutional tensions accumulated under nationalization. An earlier paper found that the demise of established generation technology, particularly the British nuclear power programme, exposed the inadequacies of autonomistic and deterministic notions of technological change. The present paper considers the value of a more subtle framework — Hughes' sociotechnical systems model — for analysing the rise of gas turbines in the British ESI. The systems perspective enables the dash for gas to be understood, rather than as a result of technical and economic imperatives, or structural and regulatory reform, as a contingent and largely unplanned outcome of the interplay of previously excluded international forces with latent local interests, mediated by policymaking expediency. Liberalization swiftly led to the replacement of centralized system building with fragmented 'postmodern' change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comments on the future of Great Britain's electricity supply. Information on the Energy White Paper published by the government in February 2003; Actions taken by the government to introduce renewable electricity generation technology; Observation on the demand for electricity.

A variety of market mechanisms have been proposed and implemented around the worm in order to create competitive electricity pools and exchanges. However, it is an open question whether pool-based daily auctions or continuous bilateral trading deliver different prices under conditions of market power. In this paper we present a computationally intensive simulation model of the wholesale electricity market in England and Wales to isolate and systematically test the potential impact of alternative trading arrangements on electricity prices. After eight years of trading under a pool-based system, proposals were initiated in 1998 to change the market in England and Wales to bilateral trading. This paper uses an agent-based simulation to evaluate two important aspects of that proposal. The results show that daily bidding with Pay SMP settlement, as in the original Pool day-ahead market, produces the lowest prices while hourly bidding with Pay Bid settlement, as proposed for the bilateral model, produces the highest prices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the opinions of several key industry players on what they think the UK Energy Policy should contain. Opinions ranged from harnessing nuclear power and renewable generation and the need for more certainty and coordination from the government to ensure policies are deliverable within today's market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a citation for Andrew Ford, recipient of the 1996 Jay Wright Forrester Award, for his paper "Estimating the Impact of Efficiency Standards on the Uncertainty of the Northwest Electric System." Career highlights; Impact of electric power industry on global ecosystems; Privatization of the industry in Great Britain.

This study describes the power conversion and control solution used in the electrical power take-off of a 35 kW test rig developed to investigate a linear, direct drive, air-cored, tubular, permanent magnet generator for an offshore wave energy device. The solution proposed is to collect the power extracted directly from individual coils of the generator, which have different induced voltages and cannot easily be connected into a small number of phases. Local energy storage is integrated into the system to smooth the electrical output power and reduce the rating of the downstream inverter for grid interfacing. The solution is demonstrated by analysis, backed up by simulation and test results. This shows the potential and limitations of the proposed conversion technology solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the evolution of supply competition in the UK residential energy market and the extent to which consumers in general, and vulnerable households in particular, have benefited from liberalization. It concludes that earlier fears about higher prices for vulnerable groups from tariff rebalancing have not so far been realized. However, in assessing the extent to which suppliers may be able to exploit individual or joint market power, increasing concentration in the downstream market may result in adverse effects on all consumers, especially low-income households. This poses a threat to the government's programme to reduce fuel poverty, particularly at a time when upstream costs are expected to rise to reflect environmental concerns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the last fifteen years, the power generation industry in the UK has undergone considerable change, evolving from a single state owned company to a collection of individual power plant owners. As a result of this, research and development activities in non-destructive examination (NDE) have become commercially focused and the need for improved and innovative techniques is even greater, as operators seek to extend the life of plant and operate it with greater flexibility. Within this period, standard automated ultrasonics and phased array ultrasonic technologies have become prominent areas of development within non-destructive examination, providing a more accurate and efficient way of inspecting critical plant items. This paper describes the advances that RWE Innogy has made in NDE by utilising both standard automated and phased array ultrasound technology for power station applications to improve accuracy, repeatability and integrity whilst reducing the overall inspection time. It will detail the technical challenges that have been overcome during six years'experience of working with ultrasonic phased array technology by presenting a number of examples which include steam turbine disc head inspections and the inspection of thick-walled components such as steam chests. Phased array has rapidly become a useful tool for the inspection of critical plant, however there are still challenges ahead for industry to accept the new technique and to recognise the need for certified training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The slow response of volume housebuilders to changes in demand has been cited as a contributing cause of a global crisis of housing affordability and allegations of land banking have persistently dogged the industry. This article reviews the supply responsiveness of speculative housebuilders in the United Kingdom and Australia through the neglected Marxian analytic category of absolute rent. Absolute rent directs attention to the relationship between the value of land and the cost of housing and models a market in which landowners may withdraw land from supply to inflate prices. Through the lens of absolute rent, the real estate practices of the housebuilding industry can be understood as a strategy of artificial scarcity straddling land and housing markets. The findings of this investigation demonstrate the insights to be gained by a return to absolute rent that valuably expand the current debate on the supply and cost of housing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electric heat pumps (HPs), hybrid heating technology and district heating networks (DHN) are the main low-carbon heating technologies that can deliver the ambitious carbon reduction target in the UK. The optimal design of the heating system on a national scale to maximize the economic benefits regarding both investment cost and operation cost while satisfying the carbon target remains an open question. This paper aims to compare the economic advantages as well as the associated impacts on the electricity system under the full deployments of ASHP (air source HP), hybrid HP-Bs (ASHP and gas boilers) and DHNs. To do so, a novel whole-system approach is applied with the explicit consideration of the coordinated operation between heat and electricity system. The optimized strategy for heat sector decarbonisation is also demonstrated, providing an outline of the optimal deployment for different heating technologies in terms of their penetrations and deployed areas. The UK case study suggests the significant economic advantage of the hybrid HP-B over the other two heating technologies, while DHN may play an important role in urban areas under the optimized heat decarbonisation strategy. The results also clearly demonstrate the changes on the electricity side driven by the different decarbonisation strategies in the heating system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores and quantifies the social costs and benefits of grid-scale electrical energy storage (EES) projects in Great Britain. The case study for this paper is the Smarter Network Storage project, a 6 MW/10 MWh lithium battery placed at the Leighton Buzzard Primary substation to meet growing local peak demand requirements. This study analyses both the locational and system-wide benefits to grid-scale EES, determines the realistic combination of those social benefits, and juxtaposes them against the social costs across the useful lifecycle of the battery to determine the techno-economic performance. Risk and uncertainty from the benefit streams, cost elements, battery lifespan, and discount rate are incorporated into a Monte Carlo simulation. Using this framework, society can be guided to cost-effectively invest in EES as a grid modernization asset to facilitate the transition to a reliable, affordable, and clean power system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prospects of UK shale gas development and its role in the energy mix has generated contradictory views. Its inclusion in electricity generation is anticipated to help mitigate the grid carbon emissions. However, there is fear that a shale gas "revolution" might distract policy commitments on the development of low carbon technologies. Others argue that a shale gas "boom" could potentially create a "lock-in-effect" on the gas generation infrastructure, thus, further exacerbating the burden on carbon emissions. The uncertainty over the future role of shale gas is worsened by lack of clarity and conflicting estimates on the potential gas resource and reserves. In the midst of these uncertainties, this paper seeks to examine transition pathways incorporating shale gas and their implications on electricity sector decarbonisation and energy security objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dynamics of power consumption constitutes an essential building block for planning and operating sustainable energy systems. Whereas variations in the dynamics of renewable energy generation are reasonably well studied, a deeper understanding of the variations in consumption dynamics is still missing. Here, we analyse highly resolved residential electricity consumption data of Austrian, German and UK households and propose a generally applicable data-driven load model. Specifically, we disentangle the average demand profiles from the demand fluctuations based purely on time series data. We introduce a stochastic model to quantitatively capture the highly intermittent demand fluctuations. Thereby, we offer a better understanding of demand dynamics, in particular its fluctuations, and provide general tools for disentangling mean demand and fluctuations for any given system, going beyond the standard load profile (SLP). Our insights on the demand dynamics may support planning and operating future-compliant (micro) grids in maintaining supply-demand balance. In modern power grids, knowing the required electric power demand and its variations is necessary to balance demand and supply. The authors propose a data-driven approach to create high-resolution load profiles and characterize their fluctuations, based on recorded data of electricity consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper presents a comparison of the characteristics of the electricity demand for London, UK and Athens, Greece and explores its relationship with both climate and non-climate related factors. Year-to-year trends for both cities are identified, associated mainly with economic, social and demographic factors. In addition, several other effects such as weekly and holiday effects, unrelated to weather conditions are detected and are examined in comparison for the two cities. Gross National Product (GNP) per capita has been employed to aid de-trend the data in order to isolate the weather/climate influence on electricity demand. Temperature has been found to play the most important role in controlling the electricity load demand, especially for Athens. For both cities electricity demand peaks in winter but for Athens a second significant peak is apparent in the summer, not present in London. Thermal comfort levels for both cities have also been identified and compared. The optimum ambient temperature for low levels of electricity demand is found to be 20°C for Athens and 16°C for London. Using the approach of cooling and heating degree-days, it was identified that the sensitivity of the system electricity-demand/air-temperature is greater during the cold period of the year for both cities. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper presents the technical and economic performance of energy-from-waste (EfW) fluidized bed combustion and gasification processes and reports on the implications of different scales and technologies on costs and efficiencies. Mass and energy balances of the processes were performed and the cost effectiveness of the different waste treatment options, for the generation of electric power, was assessed using a discounted cash flow analysis. For the different waste treatment options, the study concludes that gasification processes have higher overall system efficiencies than combustion processes. In particular, fluidized bed gasification with combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) is the most attractive treatment option in terms of cost and efficiency. Although fluidized bed gasification has limited commercial operation in the UK, they are compatible with high levels of source segregation and, therefore, have the potential to contribute towards integrated waste management practices. The operational reliability of the systems will be further improved as more facilities are commissioned and operated at commercial scales. Furthermore, financial incentives, such as Renewable Obligation Certificates (ROCs), supportive policies and active R&D by major industry players and research institutions are important factors for the full commercialisation of the gasification processes, especially, for plant scales larger that 50ktpa. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Focuses on the Electricity Supply Research Network in Great Britain which was formed to formulate research and development strategy papers in key areas of interest to both industrialists and academics. Impact of distributed generation on the need for generator design; Development of a matrix that would match academic expertise with industrial plant and system needs; Identification of clusters of elements that have synergy which can be used collectively as a basis for a strategy.

This paper discusses how Britain's privatized energy market is working to ensure that there is enough gas and electricity to meet the demand. Since privatization, there has been around #30 billion invested in Britain's gas and electricity networks. This investment in unregulated infrastructure particularly demonstrates the response the market makes to deliver security of supply. Significant investment has also been made to build new plant when it is needed with the Renewables Obligation also leading to considerable investment in new renewable generation. There are also moves to address the upgrade and repair of networks that are more than 40 years old. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following up on its pledges in the Energy White Paper, Our Energy Future-creating a low carbon economy, published in February 2003, the UK Government has firmly signalled its intention to ensure higher standards of environmental performance in buildings for the future. Its wish list, outlined at the Better Buildings Summit, will require a significant change in practice by all sectors of the building industry. Gail Rajgor reports. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

"The problem we're trying to solve is that we all know what the grid is supposed to look like. It should be an integrated networked thing, that has the benefits of central station generation and transmission with the flexibility and innovation of distributed resources. . . . It's not a question of the technology, it's the fact that we have a regulatory structure and policies that aren't building that system. And so it's a system which is capital inefficient, and it is not leading to a system that is built around the customer." Richard Kauffman, New York Energy Czar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on Iceland that leads the world in production of geothermal energy. Topics discussed include 1970s oil crisis that prompted Iceland to seek alternative to its dependence on imported fossil fuels, the Hellisheiöi Geothermal Plant in Iceland and an agreement signed by Great Britain and Iceland to investigate the possibility of establishing a high voltage direct current (HVDC) cable between the two countries, specifically for the export of electricity.

The British energy regulator has recently reviewed a non-discrimination licence condition imposed to ensure that energy retailers charge the same mark-up in different regions. Loyalty by many to incumbent firms necessitated heavy discounting by entrants to attract customers, which had led to regional price discrimination. Matching characteristics of the energy market to models of discrimination, we identify the necessary conditions for the licence condition to have a positive effect for consumers, and particularly 'vulnerable' consumers. The licence condition is likely to have reduced competition in the mainstream energy markets, which seems confirmed by the regulator's subsequent review of the retail market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on general considerations and a relatively small amount of easily available UK data, it is shown that the electricity grid should be able to absorb wind power’s full output up to a wind penetration of about 17.5 per cent. This is demonstrated not to constitute a hard limit, however, and almost all wind power’s output can be absorbed up to a penetration of about 50 per cent, a much larger fraction than has been acknowledged generally hitherto. Thus, the theoretical limits to wind power are rather wide. However, the analysis does not attempt to account for the practical difficulties imposed on the standby generators needed to match supply to demand in the presence of intermittent wind power. The intermittency of wind means that wind power generators need to provide standby generation if they are to contribute to maintaining the continuity of electric power supply that is prized so highly in all modern civilizations. The Declaration Obligation Model (DOM) has been introduced based on the notion that in return for a guarantee from the grid to purchase all the wind power that wind farms can produce at all times, each wind power operator will make a declaration that he will supply an amount of power sent out equal to the maximum continuous rating of his wind farm. A substantial offset for the cost of the standby generation is provided by the fact that the DOM allows for the recovery of revenue from the standby generators selling the shortfall of electricity when wind power operators are unable to meet their obligations from their wind turbines. The cost of this back-up generation is understood most easily by calculating the ‘standby premium’, the fractional additional cost of wind energy needed to cover the necessary level of back-up capacity. The cost of standby emerges as relatively modest. For today’s costs for wind power and gas generation, the standby premium is about 12 per cent for offshore wind and 16 per cent for onshore, if gas generation provides the standby plant. Wind power will become competitive with general power production when the fuel cost per MWh associated with general generation has risen to match the levelized cost of constructing and operating the wind turbines without standby. This prompts the notion of wind power as a fuel-saving adjunct to general power production rather than as a wholly independent source of energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article expresses the author's views on the nuclear energy policy of the British government. The author relates that the government's 2003 Energy White Paper acknowledges nuclear power as an important source of carbon-free electricity. There is also a widespread expectation that the current energy review of the government will be the precursor to the construction of nuclear stations.

The frequency response that can be provided by Doubly Fed Induction Generators (DFIG) and Full Power Converters (FPC) based wind turbines during the first 30 sec after a frequency event was investigated. A simplified model, which can be used for frequency studies on a single bus equivalent of the power system, was developed. Studies were carried out on the present and projected 2020 Great Britain power systems. The frequency deviation of the GB system with and without the frequency response of the wind turbines was simulated. It was shown that variable speed wind turbines with suitable controls can make an important contribution to frequency response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The UK power industry is going through a difficult period, trying to balance the demand for electricity with conforming to the new environmental regulations. Because of overcapacity, it is no longer an attractive proposition to build new power stations but instead it makes economic sense to keep older power stations running beyond their design life. The objective of this work was to ascertain whether certain condition monitoring techniques could be applied to complex geometries, novel materials and extreme environments within the power industry; success would enhance safe working conditions and compliment conventional NDT applications. A power station contains a multiplicity of complex materials and geometries; some plant items are subjected to extreme environmental conditions, whilst others rotate at high speed. Of the various condition monitoring methods, thermography and acoustic emission were considered most likely to succeed. An analysis was conducted on conventional materials, such as ferritic steel and aluminium-based claddings, together with new materials, such as glass reinforced polymers. Trials were conducted under normal running conditions: pressure 2000 psi, temperature 500°C; structures were acoustically noisy. The principal findings of this work were that thermography was instantly successful, relying on the difference in temperature between the live steam and the outside surface of the boiler or pipework, whereas acoustic emission struggled with operating conditions and extreme structural noise. On the basis of these findings it is considered that both thermography and acoustic emission are worth further investment and, if successful, would provide major advances in structural integrity assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deals with a study which assessed a company regulation in Chile which is aimed at making the private electricity distribution monopoly compete with a reference efficient model company, through a yardstick competition approach. Analysis of the three main components of the added value for distribution service in Chile; Overview of the price cap methodology in Great Britain; Resultant cost reductions under both regulations.

The article assesses the validity of M.D.E. Slater and G.K. Yarrow's (1983) examination of the structure of the Bulk Supply Tariff (BST) at which electricity is sold by the Central Electricity Generating Board to a set of Area Electricity Boards in England and Wales for local distribution. It concluded that the 1980/81 BST embodied significant departures from the correct principles of long-run marginal cost pricing, which might result in a serious misallocation of resources. The article comments on the distortions in electricity pricing in Great Britain.

The article analyzes the distortions in electricity pricing in Great Britain. It discusses issues relating to the Bulk Supply Tariff of the Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB). An outline of the principles of optimal operation in a peak-load problem is presented. The study demonstrates the optimality of marginal cost pricing under the usual assumptions. It also introduces and explains the concept of net effective cost which plays a large part in the calculations of CEGB.

Power quality, which encompasses a wide range of power supply parameters, has become a hidden issue for UK industry both in terms of security of supply, regulatory compliance and potential production downtime. Managing power quality can reduce costs, increase availability and improve security of supply. Uncorrected power quality (PQ) issues can bring a host of problems from unnecessary power losses through to catastrophic equipment failure. The worry is that few companies have yet to identify, let alone get to grips with, this problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents an open letter to the British Energy Minister Graham Weale on the importance of a secure and low cost electricity supply. Role of Great Britain as a importer of gas; Competition in the gas market; Generation of power from gas-fired plants.

Presents information on the bubbling, circulating and pressurized fluidised-bed combustion (BFB, CFB and PFBC) technologies used in electric power plants in the United Kingdom. Gas production of the CFB gasification; Information on the `DMEC-1' clean coal project of Lakeland, Florida; Use of pressurized circulating fluidised-bed boilers at the Four Rivers project; Advantages of pressurized operation.

Focuses on the problem of the electric power industry in Great Britain in view of the decline in electricity demand. Historical trend of simultaneous maximum demand (SMD) on the Central Electricity Generating Board, which in turn determines the total generating capacity required; Discovery that the average SMD may be reaching its upper plateau.