Scottish and Southern Energy

Infobox_Company
company_name = Scottish and Southern Energy plc
company_
company_type = Public (lse|SSE)
company_slogan = energy made better
foundation = 1998
location = Perth, Scotland, UK
key_people = Lord Smith of Kelvin (Chairman)
Ian Marchant (CEO)
industry = gas and electricity supply
products = gas and electricity
revenue = £11,867.1 million (2007)
operating_income=£1,180.1 million (2007)
net_income = £830.5 million (2007)
num_employees = 13,400 (2007)
homepage = [http://www.scottish-southern.co.uk www.scottish-southern.co.uk]

Scottish and Southern Energy plc (lse|SSE) is a leading British-based energy company. Its headquarters are in Perth, Scotland. It is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.

History

The Company was formed in 1998 following a merger between Scottish Hydro-Electric plc and Southern Electric plc. [ [http://www.scottish-southern.co.uk/SSEInternet/index.aspx?id=568&TierSlicer1_TSMenuTargetID=568&TierSlicer1_TSMenuTargetType=1&TierSlicer1_TSMenuID=6 Scottish and Southern Energy History] ]

In 2004 the Company acquired the Ferrybridge and Fiddlers Ferry Power Stations for £250million. [ [http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/scottish-amp-southern-buys-fiddlers-ferry-555070.html Scottish & Southern buys Fiddlers Ferry] ] In 2008 it went on to buy Airtricity Holdings, an Irish wind farm business. [http://uk.reuters.com/article/innovationNews/idUKL043559520080104 Scottish & Southern to buy Irish Windfarm firm] ]

Operations

The company is the second largest supplier of Electricity and Natural gas in the United Kingdom. It incorporates the brands SWALEC, Southern Electric, Scottish Hydro Electric and Atlantic Electric and Gas. It also owns Southern Electric Power Distribution, Scottish Hydro Electric Power Distribution, Scottish Hydro Electric Transmission and 50% of Scotia Gas Networks. Its subsidiaries are organised into the main businesses of generation, transmission, distribution and supply of electricity; storage and supply of gas; electrical and utility contracting, and domestic appliance retailing and telecoms. As of 15 February 2008 they also own Airtricity.

SSE also has an equity interest of 50% in, and provides corporate and management services to Scotia Gas Networks, which owns Southern Gas Networks and Scotland Gas Networks. Its contracting business has five main areas of activity: industrial, commercial and domestic, mechanical and electrical contracting; data communications; high-voltage design and maintenance; electrical and instrumentation engineering, and public and highway lighting.

Recently the company overtook HBOS to become the largest Scottish company after Royal Bank of Scotland.

Fuel mix

Renewable energy

According to their 2006 Corporate Report, SSE is the largest generator of electricity from renewable sources in the UK. In 2004/2005, 7.5% of the electricity it supplied was from renewables compared with the UK average of 3.8%. [Scottish and Southern Energy Corporate Report, 2006 (audited by ERM)] In the same period, however, "The Ecologist" magazine,

cite news
url=http://www.theecologist.org/archive_detail.asp?content_id=428
publisher=The Ecologist
title=Green Electricity… Are you being conned?
date=June 1, 2005

] criticised SSE for promoting itself as a green energy supplier, while the company had spent virtually nothing on the construction of "new" renewable energy generation during 2004. The Scottish Wind Assessment Project also criticised SSE for down-rating seven large hydro-power stations, cutting their generating capacity by 45 MW, so that they would qualify for Renewables Obligation subsidies.cite web
title=Subsidies and Subterfuge - Hydro-power and the Renewables Obligation
url=http://www.swap.org.uk/subsidiesandsubterfuge.pdf
format=PDF
publisher=Scottish Wind Assessment Project
date=June 2005
accessdate=2007-08-25]

The situation was improved in August 2004, when SSE obtained consent for developments at Artfield Fell, Dumfries and Galloway and at Hardyard Hill, Ayrshire. Both of these developments have been completed adding 140 MW to SSE's renewable energy output. Although the bulk of the renewable energy sources operated by SSE are pre-privatisation hydro-electric stations, a major scheme is now under construction at Glendoe, Inverness-shire for a 100 MW hydro-electric power station and is expected to commence generation in 2008. The company has submitted planning applications for "run of river" hydro-electric power stations at Chaorach and Chonais which will deliver 2.5 MW and 3.5 MW respectively.

Nuclear power

The percentage of SSE's fuel mix coming from nuclear power is currently 5.1%. This is lower than the UK average, but on 31st May, 2007, SSE announced that it was in talks regarding investment in the "new generation" of nuclear power stations requested by Tony Blair's government in order to meet carbon emission goals.cite news | publisher=The Times | date=June 1, 2007 | title=SSE in talks over investing in the next generation of nuclear power facilities | author=Joe Bolger | url=http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/utilities/article1868088.ece]

References

ee also

*Energy policy of the United Kingdom
*Energy policy of Scotland
*Energy use and conservation in the United Kingdom
*Green electricity in the United Kingdom
*Meter Point Administration Number

External links

* [http://www.scottish-southern.co.uk Scottish and Southern Energy plc] (official site)
* [http://www.theecologist.org/archive_detail.asp?content_id=428 Ecologist article on "green" energy]
* [http://www.fuelmix.co.uk/scottish-hydro_electric_fuel_mix_2006.htm Scottish and Southern Energy's fuel mix for 2006]
* [http://www.fuelmix.co.uk/scottish-hydro_electric_fuel_mix_2007.htm Scottish and Southern Energy's fuel mix for 2007]
* [http://www.glendoe.co.uk/ Glendoe hydro electric scheme]