News | UKERC | The UK Energy Research Centre

Our news and events pages are a resource for anyone to find out about the main activities and trends in UK energy research. If you would like to contribute your news, please get in touch with our Communications Manager, Jordan Willis.

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Article

UKERC Researcher Gives Evidence on Energy Use of Data Centres in Scotland

UKERC Researcher Dr Callum MacIver appeared before the Scottish Parliament’s Economy, Tourism and…

Today

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CSIR to Host Africa’s First RD20 Conference on Clean Energy Innovation

The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) is honoured to announce that South Africa…

09 September 2026

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Regional Energy Planning is Back, for the First Time Since Privatisation. Heat Will Decide if it Works.

If you’ve never heard of a RESP, you’re not alone. But if you care about how Britain decarbonises…

07 September 2026

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Press Release: UKERC Research Identifies 10 Technologies for Long-duration Energy Storage and Flexible Power for a Resilient UK Electricity System

Released today, new research identifies technologies that could help support the UK’s transition…

02 September 2026

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Energy Data Centre Launch New Website

Today, the Energy Data Centre has launched a new website, with a host of new functionalities for…

25 August 2026

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New Government Funding Launched to Store Clean Energy for Longer and Protect Households from Price Spikes

The Ultra-Long Duration Energy Storage (Ultra-LDES) Challenge will offer grants which support the…

20 August 2026

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New Funding Launches for Ultra Long Duration Energy Storage Projects

New funding has been made available through Innovate UK to support the development of ultra long…

04 August 2026

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From Coal Town to Smart Town: Place, Power and the Politics of Energy Decentralisation

A new study published in Energy Research & Social Science asks an uncomfortable question — what…

04 August 2026

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Press Release: New UKERC report identifies reforms for reducing UK electricity bills

A new report from the UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC) sets out practical reforms that could…

29 July 2026

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“Affordable Energy Bills in a Volatile World” – Key Takeaways and Reflections on a Parliamentary Roundtable Discussion from an Early-career Researcher

On the 7th of July 2026, as part of Net Zero Week in Parliament, researchers a number of research…

28 July 2026

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Can Government Cut Energy Bills and Deliver Net Zero? Energy Experts Say Yes

The central political question for the discussion at Westminster was: “Where does energy policy…

23 July 2026

Article

Answer the UK-HyRES National ECR Survey: What Needs to Change?

The UK-HyRES ECR Network is inviting PhD students, Early Career Researchers (ECRs), and lecturers…

22 July 2026

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Answer our Survey on What UK Transport Might Look Like on the Road to Net Zero

UKERC researchers at the University of Strathclyde and University of Oxford are exploring how…

14 July 2026

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UKERC Co-Director Jianzhong Wu Joins University of Bath as Pro-Vice-Chancellor

Jianzhong will play a key role in delivering the university’s strategy as a member of the…

01 July 2026

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Rob Gross Chairs World Bank Plenary Panel on Industrial and Economic Growth Opportunities Created by the Energy Transition

In April UKERC Director Rob Gross travelled to Washington DC at the invitation of the…

30 June 2026

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UKERC Director Rob Gross Gives Evidence to Energy Security and Net Zero Committee on Reviewing the Electricity Market

Rob gave evidence to the Energy Security and Net Zero Committee, who were inquiring into what…

25 June 2026

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UKERC Welcomes Four New Projects from its Whole Systems Networking Fund

Now in its third iteration, the fund broadens the people, institutions, and research areas UKERC…

24 June 2026

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New EERA Transversal Joint Programme on Energy Security and Resilience to explore Growing Importance of Resilience and Preparedness in Europe’s Energy Transition

A new European Energy Research Alliance (EERA) programme on energy security and resilience has been…

22 June 2026

Article

Take Part in the 2026 Pride in Energy Survey

Pride in Energy is the diversity forum and network for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer,…

16 June 2026

Blog

Lessons from the UK’s Local Industrial Decarbonisation Plan Competition

Historically, UK industrial decarbonisation policy focused on carbon-intensive sectors such as oil…

16 June 2026

Blog

Beyond Research: Early Career Reflections on Relevance and Impact at the 2026 UKERC Annual Assembly

For those of us earlier in our research careers, the Annual Assembly was a valuable opportunity…

11 June 2026

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Electric Public Transport Could Cut Kenya’s Emissions and Fuel-import Bill Without Triggering a New Battery Dependency, Study Finds

A new study using UKERC’s TEAM model on Kenya’s transport-energy future shows that electrifying…

09 June 2026

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Reflections from the RD20 Summer School 2026: Energy Transition Through Technology, Systems Thinking and Collaboration

Returning back to the UK after participating in the…

09 June 2026

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UKERC Annual Assembly 2026 – Energy Minister to UKERC: “We Will be Relying on you More Than Ever”

The two-day event provided an opportunity to share progress across UKERC’s research programme,…

03 June 2026

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EDI in Energy Research: from Theory to Practice

The event brought together researchers and practitioners from across the energy research community…

29 May 2026

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Reflection on the RD20 Summer School 2026

In May, UKERC sent three ECR delegates to the RD20 Summer School in Morocco, read this blog about…

27 May 2026

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UKERC Academic Provides Evidence to Scottish Affairs Committee

The Committee investigated the transition to net zero in Scotland’s energy sector, and how the UK…

21 May 2026

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Towards a Combined Critical-spatial Lens for Understanding the Social Acceptance of Overhead High Voltage Power Lines

Existing research has over-focused on negative community responses to Overhead High Voltage Power…

05 May 2026

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ECR Net Zero Conference: What stayed with me

UKERC Researcher Stephen Agyeman reflects on his vist to the ECR Net Zero Conference in Birmingham…

05 May 2026

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Reflections From the Iberian Blackout – One Year On

It’s been a year since the power system on the entire Iberian peninsula suffered a voltage…

28 April 2026

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Leaning into this Difficult Political Moment for Climate Mitigation

We find ourselves, yet again, facing well-funded, widely communicated opposition from the…

27 April 2026

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Electric Car-sharing Scheme Shows Vehicle-to-grid Technology is Ready to Scale

A new policy report co-authored by UKERC Researchers finds that Utrecht’s pioneering…

22 April 2026

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Delinking Gas and Power a Top Priority for Government. UKERC’s Pot Zero Proposal Leads the Way.

The UK Energy Research Centre welcomes today’s announcements laid out by Energy Secretary Ed…

21 April 2026

Blog

Port Talbot – A Super-Town for Green Energy Infrastructure?

The news that Port Talbot is to develop a part of its existing port infrastructure to assemble…

10 April 2026

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Listen to the Talking Energy podcast on Iran, the gas crisis, and the UK’s response

In the latest episode of the Talking Energy podcast, we welcome UKERC Researcher and Professor at…

02 April 2026

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Disconnect – Time to Return to Delinking Gas and Power Prices?

In this blog UKERC revisits options for breaking the link between gas and electricity prices in the…

01 April 2026

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New Resource Hub Launched to Support Inclusive Pathways into Postgraduate Energy Research

The IGNITE Network+ has launched a new PGR Recruitment Resource Hub, created to improve equity,…

31 March 2026

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Listen to UKERC’s Latest Podcast Episode with Peter Stanley

On the latest episode of the Talking Energy Podcast, Rob Gross is joined by Peter Stanley, the CEO…

25 March 2026

Blog

Drilling for Oil and Gas Will not Reduce Bills or Deliver Energy Security. Here’s Why

War in the Gulf and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz have been accompanied, with…

19 March 2026

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UKERC supports Scottish Parliament scrutiny of Scotland’s Draft Climate Change Plan

The draft Climate Change Plan sets out how the Scottish Government intends to meet Scotland’s…

18 March 2026

Blog

How the UK can Protect Households from Spiking Fuel Prices

As another energy crisis takes hold, the UK must take action to reduce energy demand to limit…

11 March 2026

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Change in the Energy Data Centre Leadership: Farewell from Catherine Jones and introduction to Peter Holt

Catherine Jones reflects on six years at the Energy Data Centre upon her retirement.

09 March 2026

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UKERC Director Rob Gross Delivers Keynote at Foresighting Forum 2026

Rob delivered his keynote in a session on maintaining the energy transition during a cost-of-living…

04 March 2026

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EERA Day in the UK

On 17 February we hosted the first ‘EERA Day in the UK’, the event co-hosted with the European…

19 February 2026

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UKERC Researcher Gives Evidence to Scottish Affairs Select Committee

Christian Calvillo talked to the Committee about energy markets and policy.

11 February 2026

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UKERC Responds to Scottish Government’s Draft Climate Change Plan Consultation

A range of UKERC researchers have contributed to our response to the plan.

10 February 2026

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UKERC Responds to ESNZ Committee Consultation on Managing the Future of Oil and Gas

UKERC Researchers Louis Fletcher and Mike Bradshaw responded to the consultation on the North Sea…

10 February 2026

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Reflecting on the Warm Homes Plan: How UKERC Research Can Help Deliver

The Warm Homes Plan (WHP) has been welcomed by various organisations as a significant step forward…

04 February 2026

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Industrial Consumer-Led Flexibility: Challenges, Insights and Research Priorities

As the UK moves towards a decarbonised electricity system, industrial consumer-led flexibility…

07 January 2026

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Director Rob Gross Appointed to Clean Power Advisory Commission

UKERC Director Professor Rob Gross has been appointed to join the Clean Power Advisory Commission…

16 December 2025

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From Public Acceptance to Societal Responsiveness of Net Zero Infrastructures

This blog explores why people-centered, whole-systems approaches can be challenging, but also…

10 December 2025

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UKERC Researchers Featured in ESNZ Select Committee Inquiry Report

The Commons Energy Security and Net Zero Committee has released a report stating that significant…

10 December 2025

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Data Centres and Energy: is Generative AI Creating More Problems Than it can Imagine?

In this blog, Magnus Jamieson reflects on the growth of data centres and their impact on the…

09 December 2025

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Call for Evidence: Public Engagement with Energy and Climate Change

Energy and net zero transitions depend on meaningful public engagement. How society engages with…

03 December 2025

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Budget Commitments on Home Energy Means the Warm Homes Plan is More Urgent Than Ever

The cancellation of ECO from 2026 makes it critical that the Warm Homes Plan is launched soon and…

27 November 2025

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UKERC Director Robert Gross responds to the Autumn Budget

Among a raft of changes in policy, there were notable changes in energy policy, particularly around…

26 November 2025

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Inclusive Writing Retreat 2025: Finding Our Voice in Energy Research

Earlier this month, UKERC researchers gathered for a two-day Inclusive Writing Retreat, designed to…

25 November 2025

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Views from Japan’s Science City: Reflections on Global Energy R&D at RD20

In this blog, Aidan Rhodes reflects in his time in Tsukuba, Japan, for the RD20 Conference.

24 November 2025

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New Research sees Policymakers and Academics Unite to Map 2050 Net Zero Scenarios

In a first of its kind collaboration, new research published in Nature Energy has embedded…

21 November 2025

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UKERC Launches Whole Systems Networking Fund for Early Career Researchers

We are issuing a call for proposals under our Whole Systems Networking Fund, which is designed to…

18 November 2025

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Post-REMA Decision Workshop Explores the Future of Great Britain’s Electricity Market

On 13 November, senior figures from across the UK’s energy sector gathered at Senate House, in…

17 November 2025

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New Study Explores the Potential for Biomass as a Long-duration Energy Store

A new report from Cultivate Innovation, UKERC and the Supergen Bioenergy Hub has explored how…

17 November 2025

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Why Preserve? The UKERC Energy Data Centre Team Contemplates on World Preservation Day

Each of the Energy Data Centre team members answered the question ‘Why Preserve?’ in their own…

06 November 2025

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UKERC Researchers Win Best Paper Award in Sustainability Science

Richard Hanna, Philip Heptonstall and Robert Gross have won a Best Paper Award in the journal…

28 October 2025

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IPCC Seeks Reviewers for First Order Draft of the Special Report on Climate Change

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has announced that the Expert Review of the…

21 October 2025

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UKERC Sends Delegation to RD20 Conference in Tsukuba, Japan, to Share Research with International Community

A delegation from UKERC was sent to Tsukuba, Japan, in September 2025 to participate in through…

16 October 2025

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Energy Security: Making the Most of Demand Side Measures

This blog was originally published by the Energy Demand Research Centre (EDRC), and is based on a…

15 October 2025

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The Talking Energy Podcast: Changing the Dynamic on Consumer Affordability with Laura Sandys

In this episode, we welcome former MP and long-term energy campaigner Laura Sandys to the podcast.

15 October 2025

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UKERC Responds to Scottish Parliament’s Draft Climate Change Plan Scrutiny

The draft Climate Change Plan (CCP) is a strategy document which outlines how the Scottish…

15 October 2025

Video

Watch our Latest Webinar on Public Ownership and the Clean Energy Transition

How do ownership models shape the clean energy transition and how do we make sense of the…

07 October 2025

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Ensuring resilience: Spain, Storms, North Hyde and What They Tell us About our Electricity Supply – Part 2

In the aftermath of high profile – and highly impactful – power system failures in recent…

30 September 2025

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UKERC Researcher Responds to Strategic Objectives of GB Energy

As part of the ongoing UKERC’s Responsive Research, we have been looking at GB Energy’s aims and…

25 September 2025

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Scottish Parliament launches Area of Research Interest on industrial decarbonisation

Responses will be used to identify research, expertise and contacts to support parliamentary…

25 September 2025

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Ensuring Resilience: Spain, Storms, North Hyde and What They Tell us About our Electricity Supply – Part 1

In this first part of a two-part extended blog, Keith discusses the need for good engineering and…

24 September 2025

Article

The Energize Mentorship Club

Unlock Your Potential Mentorship isn’t just valuable; it’s a game changer. For…

27 August 2025

Blog

Microgrids and Macro Ideas in the Rockies: My RD20 Experience

Shanay Skellern writes on her recent trip to Colorado as part of this year’s RD20.

18 August 2025

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Apply to Join our Inclusive Writing Retreat

Applications are now open for an inclusive writing retreat to provide early career researchers…

14 August 2025

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New Organisation to Support Black Talent in the UK Energy and Sustainability Industry

Energyz Black is a non-profit organisation, established to support black talents to start, grow…

13 August 2025

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UKERC Calls for Expressions of Interest on Range of Research Projects

The UK Energy Research Centre is inviting Expressions of Interest on a number of potential research…

12 August 2025

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Call for Expressions of Interest: Clean Energy Policy, Outcomes and Public Support for Net Zero

The UK Energy Research Centre is inviting Expressions of Interest to conduct research on UK clean…

12 August 2025

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Call for Expressions of Interest: Environmental and Economic Impacts of Inter-Seasonal Long-Duration Energy Storage

The UK Energy Research Centre is inviting Expressions of Interest to conduct research on…

12 August 2025

Blog

Building Energy Efficiency and Climate Change Policy Inertia

The story of energy efficiency policy has been quite a bumpy ride. This blog explores the lessons…

08 August 2025

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Call for Expressions of Interest: Regional Energy Planning and Heat Decarbonisation

The UK Energy Research Centre is inviting Expressions of Interest to conduct research on regional…

07 August 2025

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Call for Expressions of Interest: Research on Public Acceptance of Electricity Network Infrastructure

UKERC is inviting Expressions of Interest for a major new research project focused on public…

29 July 2025

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UKERC Researchers win the Energy Research & Social Science Best Paper Award

Lucie Middlemiss and Mark Davis win the award for their work on energy demand.

24 July 2025

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Liberal Democrats Adopt UKERC’s ‘Pot Zero’ Plan to cut Energy Bills

Ed Davey outlined his vision for a thriving economy, which included UKERC’s research on ‘pot zero’.

18 July 2025

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Critical Minerals 2.0: What Should we Anticipate from the UK’s new Critical Minerals Strategy?

Ahead of a new UK Critical Minerals Strategy later this summer, this blog looks at how the UK…

18 July 2025

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Call for Survey Participants – EDI in STEM and Energy Research Sector

The EPSRC IGNITE Network+ research team is inviting participants to take part in a survey aimed…

15 July 2025

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Nick Pidgeon Joins the Science and Technology Advisory Council

Professor Nick Pidgeon joins the Council to provide robust, scientific, evidence-based information…

15 July 2025

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UKERC Responds to Government Decision on the Review of the Electricity Market Arrangements

Today, the Government has announced its final decision of the Review of the Electricity Market…

10 July 2025

Blog

Where Does the UK Most Need More Public EV Chargers?

The Labour government has announced £400 million to install EV chargers, mainly on streets in…

08 July 2025

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Foundations First: has the Modern Industrial Strategy delivered on Industrial Decarbonisation?

With the publication of The UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy last week, our answer is broadly…

03 July 2025

Blog

How the Facets of Energy Security Impact the Support for Energy Sources: Evidence from UK Households

In this blog, the authors empirically examine how preferences for three energy sources (renewables,…

25 June 2025

Article

Watch Chief Scientific Advisor Paul Monks talk to UKERC’s Annual Assembly

In a keynote speech on the second day, UKERC welcomed Paul Monks, Chief Scientific Adviser at the…

23 June 2025

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Applications Open for ADT4Blue’s Open Call to Transform the Blue Economy and Mentoring Opportunities

ADT4Blue has opportunities to showcase innovative ideas to transform the Blue Economy, and is also…

17 June 2025

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New Partners & Capability Development Fund Topic Consultation

This consultation document outlines a range of prospective topic areas identified by the UKERC…

16 June 2025

Blog

Transmission Network Unavailability – the Quiet Driving Force Behind Rising Curtailment Costs in Great Britain

In this blog, Callum MacIver and Keith Bell set out to dig a little deeper into the current state…

16 June 2025

Blog

UKERC Annual Assembly 2025: Collaboration for a Complex Energy Future

The UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC) held its Annual Assembly last week at the University of…

12 June 2025

Article

Navigating Controversies Around Electricity Transmission Network Development: What are Different Technology Options Really Like?

In this blog, Keith Bell reflects on a new report published through the Institution for Engineering…

10 June 2025

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UKERC Researchers Meet Energy Minister for Meeting on Industrial Decarbonisation

On 19 May Peter Taylor and Rob Gross from the UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC), together with…

10 June 2025