Three major UK power providers have teamed up with the country's metrological office to produce a report assessing how climate change could affect their business.
EDF Energy, networks provider National Grid and E.ON UK have all joined together to work with the Met Office’s Hadley Centre for Climate Change and Research to examine how both consumption and supply of energy could be affected by rising temperatures, heightened sea levels and diminishing river depths.
Among the issues raised is the impaired efficiency of combined cycle gas turbines in hot weather, and the potential damage caused to nuclear plant in coastal locations as sea levels rise and storms become more severe.
The energy industry’s activities and markets are closely affected by the weather and would clearly be influenced by the effects of climate change, Paul Golby, chief executive of E.ON UK, was quoted as saying by Bloomberg.