Matthew Brown

This Practice Note provides a detailed overview of the Contracts for Difference (CfD) subsidy regime introduced under the Electricity Market Reform (EMR) to support the deployment of renewable and other low carbon electricity generation. It includes details of CfD support that has been awarded to date, the key entities involved in the CfD regime, the statutory mechanisms for granting CfD support, and the key terms of the standard form contract granted to renewable generators who win CfD support through the competitive allocation mechanism. The Practice Note also explores ancillary subsidies which are connected to the CfD regime, such as the Clean Industry Bonus (CIB) for offshore wind projects.

This Practice Note provides a detailed explanation of the Smart Export Guarantee, which came into force on 1 January 2020. The Smart Export Guarantee is a regulated mechanism to provide owners of small scale renewable installations in Great Britain with a guaranteed contract for selling surplus electricity they generate. Among other things it discusses the terms of power purchase under the Smart Export Guarantee, the role of electricity suppliers in the Smart Export Guarantee mechanism, and technology types that are eligible for the Smart Export Guarantee. This Practice Note has been written in Partnership with Matthew Brown, Partner at CMS.

This Practice Note provides an overview of carbon capture usage and storage (CCUS) in the UK, including what CCUS involves and the key types of technologies it encompasses, the development of CCUS clusters, government policy and legislative developments aimed at increasing the deployment of CCUS (including the development of CCUS business models). The Practice Note also includes an explanation of the key drivers and obstacles for CCUS uptake in the UK, policy developments in relation to the repurposing of existing oil and gas assets for CCUS, some of the funding opportunities available for CCUS projects and an overview of the existing national and international legislative framework surrounding CCUS projects.