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Energy Act 2008

  • Explanatory Notes Table of contents

Please note:

All reference to 'Parts' and 'sections' are from the Energy Act 2008. For more information about understanding Explanatory Notes click here.

  1. Introduction

  2. Overview

    1. Part 1, Chapter 1: Gas Importation and Storage Zones

      1. Summary and Background

      2. Commentary on Sections

        1. Section 1: Exploitation of areas outside the territorial sea for gas importation and storage

    2. Chapter 2: Importation and Storage of Combustible Gas

      1. Summary and Background

      2. Commentary on Sections

        1. Activities requiring a licence

          1. Section 2: Prohibition on unlicensed activities

          2. Section 3: Exception for activities carried on partly on land

        2. Licensing

          1. Section 4: Licences

          2. Section 5: Applications

          3. Section 6: Terms and conditions

          4. Section 7: Model clauses

        3. Enforcement

          1. Section 8: Offence to carry on unlicensed activities

          2. Section 9: Offences relating to licences

          3. Section 10: Secretary of State’s power of direction

          4. Section 11: Failure to comply with a direction under section 10

          5. Section 12: Injunctions restraining breaches of section 2(1)

          6. Section 13: Inspectors

          7. Section 14: Criminal proceedings

        4. Supplementary

          1. Section 15: Interaction with the petroleum licensing requirements

    3. Chapter 3: Storage of Carbon Dioxide

      1. Summary and Background

      2. Commentary on Sections

        1. Activities requiring a licence

          1. Section 17: Prohibition on unlicensed activities

        2. Licensing

          1. Section 18: Licences

          2. Section 19: Requirements relating to grant of licences

          3. Section 20: Terms and conditions

          4. Section 21: Content of licences: regulations

        3. Enforcement

          1. Section 22: Offence to carry on unlicensed activities

          2. Section 23: Offences relating to licences

          3. Section 24: Licensing authority’s power of direction

          4. Section 25: Failure to comply with a direction under section 24

          5. Section 26: Injunctions restraining breaches of section 17(1)

          6. Section 27: Inspectors

          7. Section 28: Criminal proceedings

        4. Registration

          1. Section 29: Requirement for public register

        5. Abandonment of offshore installations

          1. Section 30: Abandonment of installations

        6. Termination of the licence

          1. Section 31: Termination of licence: regulations

        7. Miscellaneous

          1. Section 32: Safety zones

          2. Section 33: Enhanced petroleum recovery: power to make orders

          3. Section 34: Power of Secretary of State to transfer functions

          4. Section 35: Interpretation

    4. Chapter 4:General Provisions about Gas Importation and Storage

      1. Section 36 and Schedule 1: Chapters 2 and 3: consequential amendments

    5. Part 2: Electricity from Renewable Sources

      1. The Renewables Obligation

        1. Summary and Background

        2. Commentary on Sections

          1. Section 37: The Renewables Obligation

            1. New section 32

            2. New section 32A

            3. New section 32B

            4. New section 32C

            5. New section 32D

            6. New section 32E

            7. New section 32F

            8. New section 32G

            9. New section 32H

            10. New section 32I

            11. New section 32J

            12. New sections 32K and 32L

            13. New Section 32M

          2. Section 38: Section 37: supplemental provision

          3. Section 39: Existing savings relating to section 32 of the Electricity Act 1989

          4. Section 40: The Northern Ireland renewables obligation

      2. Feed-in Tariffs for Small-Scale Generation of Electricity

        1. Summary and Background

        2. Commentary on Sections

          1. Section 41: Power to amend licence conditions : feed-in tariffs

          2. Section 42: Power to amend licence conditions : procedure

          3. Section 43 Feed-in tariffs: supplemental

      3. Offshore Electricity Transmission

        1. Summary and Background

        2. Commentary on Sections

          1. Section 44 and Schedule 2: Offshore electricity transmission and property schemes

            1. Property Schemes

            2. Scheme making power

            3. Applications for schemes

            4. Timing of applications

            5. Notifying the non-applicant party

            6. Restricting or withdrawing the application

            7. The Authority’s functions in relation to applications

            8. Terms of a property scheme

            9. Additional powers of the Authority

            10. Notification of property scheme

            11. Refusal of application or part of an application

            12. Effect of property scheme

            13. Review of determinations

            14. Interim arrangements pending review of determination

            15. Appeal on a point of law

            16. Change of asset owner

    6. Part 3: Decommissioning of Energy Installations

      1. Chapter 1: Nuclear Sites: Decommissioning and Clean-Up

        1. Summary and Background

        2. Commentary on Sections

          1. Funded decommissioning programmes

            1. Section 45: Duty to submit a funded decommissioning programme

            2. Section 46: Approval of a programme

            3. Section 47: Prohibition on use of site in absence of approved programme

          2. Modification of approved programmes

            1. Section 48: Modification of approved programme

            2. Section 49: Procedure for revising approved programme

            3. Section 50: Power to disapply section 49

            4. Section 51: Time when modification takes effect

          3. Information

            1. Section 52: Provision of information and documents

            2. Section 53: Power to review operation of programme

          4. Regulations and guidance

            1. Section 54: Nuclear decommissioning: regulations and guidance

            2. Section 55: Funded decommissioning programmes: verification of financial matters

          5. Protection of decommissioning funds

            1. Section 56: Protection of security under approved programme

          6. Enforcement

            1. Section 57: Offence to fail to comply with approved programme

            2. Section 58: Secretary of State’s power of direction

            3. Section 59: Offence of further disclosure of information

            4. Section 60: Offence of supplying false information

            5. Section 61: Restriction on prosecutions under this Chapter

          7. Miscellaneous

            1. Section 62: Power to apply this Chapter to other nuclear installations.

            2. Section 63: Co-operation with other public bodies

            3. Section 64: Continuity of obligations

            4. Section 65: Amendment of Nuclear Installations Act 1965

            5. Section 66: Disposal of hazardous material

          8. General

            1. Section 67: Meaning of “associated”

            2. Section 68: Interpretation

      2. Chapter 2: Offshore Renewables Installations

        1. Summary and Background

        2. Commentary on Sections

          1. Section 69: Decommissioning notices relating to offshore renewable energy installations

          2. Section 70: Security for decommissioning obligations

          3. Section 71: Provision of information to Secretary of State

      3. Chapter 3: Oil and Gas Installations

        1. Summary and Background

        2. Commentary on Sections

          1. Section 72: Persons who may be required to submit abandonment programmes

          2. Section 107 and Schedule 5: Minor and consequential amendments

          3. Section 108 and Schedule 6: Repeals

          4. Section 73: Financial resources

          5. Section 74: Protection of abandonment funds from creditors

            1. New section 38A: Protection of funds set aside for the purposes of abandonment programme

            2. New section 38B: Directions to provide information about protected assets

      4. Chapter 4: Wells

        1. Summary and Background

        2. Commentary on Sections

          1. Section 75: Information about decommissioning of wells

            1. New section 45A: Abandoned wells

    7. Part 4: Provisions Relating to Oil and Gas

      1. Petroleum Licensing

        1. Summary and Background

        2. Commentary on Sections

          1. Section 76: Transfers without the consent of the Secretary of State

            1. New section 5A : Rights transferred without consent of the Secretary of State

            2. New section 5B: Information

            3. New section 5C: Offences under section 5B: supplemental

          2. Section 77: Model clauses of petroleum licences & Schedule 3: Petroleum Licences: Amendments to Model Clauses

            1. Provision of contact details to Minister

            2. The power to issue a notice to plug and abandon a well

            3. Revocation on change of control

            4. The power of partial revocation

      2. Third Party Access

        1. Summary and Background

        2. Commentary on Sections

          1. Section 78: Third party access to infrastructure

          2. Section 79: Modification of pipelines

            1. New Section 10G: Compulsory modifications of pipelines

            2. New section 10H: Enforcement

          3. Section 80: Third party access to oil processing facilities

          4. Section 81: Directions under section 80: supplemental

          5. Section 82: Meaning of “associate”

    8. Part 5: Miscellaneous

      1. Duties of Gas and Electricity Markets Authority

        1. Summary and Background

        2. Commentary on Sections

          1. Section 83: Duties of the Gas and Electricity Markets Authority

      2. Transmission Systems

        1. Summary and Background

        2. Commentary on Sections

          1. Section 84: Power to amend licence conditions : transmission systems

          2. Section 85 Power to amend licence conditions : transmission systems: Procedure

          3. Section 86 Power to amend licence conditions : transmission systems: supplemental

      3. Energy Reports

        1. Summary and Backrgound

        2. Commentary on Sections

          1. Section 87: Energy reports and Schedule 5: Repeals

      4. Smart Meters

        1. Summary and Background

        2. Commentary on Sections

          1. Section 88: Power to amend licence conditions : smart meters

          2. Section 89: Power to amend licence conditions : Procedure

          3. Section 90: Smart meters: supplemental and Schedule 5: minor and consequential amendments

          4. Section 91 and Schedule 4: Licensing of activities relating to smart meters

    9. Part 1: Gas

      1. Section 41HA: New licensable activities: smart meters

      2. Section 41HBSection 41HA: supplemental

      3. Section 41HC: Competitive tendering for licences for new licensable activities

    10. Part 2: Electricity

      1. Section 56FA New licensable activities: smart meters

      2. Section 56FB: section 56FA:supplemental

      3. Section 56FC: Competitive tendering for licences for new licensable activities

      4. Gas and Electricity Meters

        1. Summary and Background

        2. Commentary on Sections

          1. Section 92: Gas meters

          2. Section 93: Section 92: consequential amendments

          3. Section 94 and Schedule 5: Power to amend licence conditions: gas

          4. Section 95: Electricity meters

          5. Section 96: Section 95: consequential amendments

          6. Section 97 and Schedule 5 : Power to amend licence conditions: electricity

      5. Connection Offer Expenses

        1. Summary and Background

        2. Commentary on Sections

          1. Section 98: Costs connected with making an offer of connection

      6. Electricity Safety

        1. Summary and Background

        2. Commentary on Sections

          1. Section 99: Electricity Safety

      7. Renewable Heat Incentives

        1. Summary and Background

        2. Commentary on Sections

          1. Section 100 Renewable Heat Incentives

      8. Nuclear Information

        1. Summary and Background

        2. Commentary on Sections

          1. Section 101: Security of sensitive nuclear information

            1. New section 80A Extension of the Official Secrets Acts to certain places

          2. Paragraph 21 of Schedule 5: Energy Act 2004 (c.20)

      9. Application of General Duties

        1. Section 102: Application of general duties to functions relating to licences

    11. Part 6: General

      1. Commentary on Sections

        1. Section 103: Offences by bodies corporate

        2. Section 104 : Subordinate legislation

        3. Section 105: Parliamentary control of subordinate legislation

        4. Section 107 and Schedule 5: Minor and consequential amendments

        5. Section 109: Transitional provision

        6. Section 110: Commencement

        7. Section 112: Extent

  4. Commencement Date

  5. Hansard References

  • Explanatory Notes Table of contents

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Explanatory Notes

Text created by the government department responsible for the subject matter of the Act to explain what the Act sets out to achieve and to make the Act accessible to readers who are not legally qualified. Explanatory Notes were introduced in 1999 and accompany all Public Acts except Appropriation, Consolidated Fund, Finance and Consolidation Acts.

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