Electric Utilities and Independent Power Producers and ... · PDF fileSustainability Topics...

Sustainability Topics for Sectors: What do stakeholders want to know?

ELECTRIC UTILITIES AND INDEPENDENT POWER PRODUCERS AND ENERGY TRADERS (INCLUDING FOSSIL, ALTERNATIVE AND NUCLEAR ENERGY)

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This table shows a list of topics identified as relevant by different stakeholder groups. They can be considered as stakeholders’ suggestions or requests for topics to be monitored or disclosed by organizations.

Additional information about the project can be found at https://www.globalreporting.org/reporting/sector-guidance/Topics-Research/Pages/default.aspx

47 – Electric Utilities and Independent Power Producers and Energy Traders (including fossil,

alternative and nuclear energy)

71 Topics

Companies that produce or distribute electricity. Includes both nuclear and non-nuclear facilities. Companies that operate as Independent Power

Producers (IPPs), Gas & Power Marketing & Trading Specialists and/or Integrated Energy Merchants. Includes producers of solar power and wind

power, used to generate electricity. Also includes companies that generate electricity and/or power through alternative energy sources such as

biogas, biomass, clean energy, geothermal, waste, water and waves.

Sustainability Category

Topic Topic Specification (if available)

Explanation Reference(s)1 Constituency

Economic Carbon emission trading

Trading schemes For companies in our European coverage, carbon prices are included in the fundamental valuation. Phase I and the current Phase II of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) are based on a mix of free allowances and auctioning of carbon credits. The system has resulted in ‘windfall’ profits in the sector, as utilities are able to pass on the cost of carbon to customers, including the market price of the free allocation. (Although this was dampened by the financial and economic crisis, as outlined in our “Sector outlook” above). This seven-year

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https://www.globalreporting.org/reporting/sector-guidance/Topics-Research/Pages/default.aspx




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window of opportunity from 2005 (Phase I) was intended to allow the utilities to make the required investment in ‘cleaner’ generation technologies, as Phase III (beginning 2013) will shift to 100% auctioning for this sector.

Total income (expenditure) on emission rights traded (emission rights bought) as a percentage of revenue

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CO2e emissions allowances can be auctioned or allocated for free, impacting the cost burden to utilities. Reporting on the allocation of CO2e emission allowances for a utility, illustrates the exposure the organization has to current or future national and international climate change policies. It also provides an illustration of the strategy used by the organization to manage CO2e emissions

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Government subsidies

Renewable energy technologies

Many renewable energy technologies have not historically been cost competitive with conventional alternatives (although wind is quite advanced). Therefore, feed-in tariffs, and similar performance-based incentives, have proven to be effective and efficient mechanisms for creating investor security and driving rapid renewable energy growth. By 2008, feed-in tariffs had driven 75% of PV capacity and 45% wind capacity worldwide. However, a significant risk for investors is that governments can change their minds on subsidies, which we are already seeing because of national budget constraints, with Germany and France announcing cuts

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in solar feed-in tariffs. Despite a slowdown during 2009, both in Europe and the US, more electricity production based on renewable energy sources, for example wind (+31%) and solar (+13%), was installed than from conventional sources. However, this solid market growth has not been reflected in share prices, with many renewable energy companies sitting at a relatively low level. This is mainly because of uncertainties regarding the future level of state subsidies. Visibility improved in December 2010 with the new Spanish regulatory framework for windpower tariffs. This should help put some life back into the Spanish market.

Environmental Materials use Non-renewable materials

Relative amount of non-renewable energy sources used, including petroleum, coal, and natural gas (methane). Relates to frequency of use and what percentage of energy production comes from such sources. Expanding upon above information, these non-renewable energy sources are commonly framed as environmental pollutants with a finite life expectancy in terms of energy production. They relate to current perceived threats to energy sustainability, as put forth by the World Energy Council. These threats include difficulties in sitting new energy facilities/ access to land for drilling; failure to achieve adequate diversity in primary energy mix; depletion of natural fossil fuel resources; weakness in security of critical energy infrastructure; inability to access efficient and advanced

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technologies; and supply disruption due to war, sanctions and embargoes.

Energy efficiency of power production

Fuel and emissions reduction

Improved operational efficiency contributes towards sustainable development through cost reduction and emissions reduction. It can also influence national energy security. Improvements in generation efficiency reduce the volumes of oil/gas and other fuel required for electricity and useful heat generation and reduces emissions.


Transmission and distribution efficiency

Information on transmission and distribution efficiency captures information on technical and non-technical losses (including unauthorized connections). Losses can increase costs to consumers, increase emissions intensity and provide an indication that there are illegal connections. Illegal connections can be linked to public health and safety. Year-on-year reporting will enable companies and their stakeholders to see variation in losses and identify where improvements can be made.


A typical efficiency rate of 37% for coal-fired (55-60% for CCGT) means that out of 100% of fuel burned by the power plant, as much as 63% is lost in heat and only 37% is converted into electricity. Reducing emissions can be achieved by increasing the efficiency rate of power plants via more efficient turbines and processes such as combined-cycle or critical and supercritical boilers. For example, upgrading the existing coal-fired plants – which represent 40% of the worldwide generation capacities – with, for example Alstom’s turbines, can improve average efficiency from 37% to 43-46%, representing a

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24% increase. E.ON’s pipeline of current construction plants includes an expected thermal efficiency of 46% in its coal-fired German 1,100MW Dattlen 4 and Dutch Maasvlaket plants. GE and Siemens are focused on the development of Integrated Gasification Coal Combustion to improve thermal efficiencies, which can incorporate carbon capture and storage (CCS). This is an important input to the ‘cost of carbon’ analysis for power generators. It also needs to be played cross-sector, which is often not the focus of financial analysts with sector specific coverage, and yet is where the investor finds significant value from the thematic analysis of climate change.

Energy production

An understanding of net energy output provides an indication of the environmental, social and economic impacts likely to arise from a given power generation portfolio based on actual output.


Renewable and/or alternative energy sources

Biomass Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)

One fundamental objective of biomass-based bioenergy systems is to mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, providing a low-carbon energy alternative to fossil fuels. This Principle embraces full life cycle assessment (LCA) as the primary tool for ensuring substantive reduction in GHG emissions. An integrated resource management plan will address the environmental risks associated with current and future production, appropriate to the scale and intensity of the operation

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Biomass production

Maximizing production on lands dedicated to producing biomass and having additional lands with other primary end uses provide supplementary biomass can help address the multiple demands for land resources in a more sustainable way. Optimizing agricultural productivity while limiting impacts to the environment can create profitable and more sustainable agricultural systems, and help minimize the footprint required to support the growth of a large-scale industry of low-carbon bioenergy An integrated resource management plan will address the environmental risks associated with current and future production, appropriate to the scale and intensity of the operation


RWE npower considers biomass conversion UK-based RWE npower is exploring the conversion of its 1,100-megawatt (MW) coal-fired Tilbury, England, Power Station to 100 percent biomass, sourcing the majority of its feedstock from the pellet plant its parent company is developing in the US. The Tilbury station currently cofires 10 percent biomass as per UK Renewables Obligation regulations and has for a number of years, but a 100 percent biomass feedstock will decrease electricity generation at the station to 750MW. The company has yet to make a final decision on the conversion and is awaiting consents and licences from regulators, according to Dan Meredith, public relations manager for RWE npower. “If we do go ahead with the

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fuel switch from coal to biomass, our recent trials indicate there will be significant environmental benefits due to reductions in emissions compared to coal,” Meredith said, citing a 70 to 80 percent reduction in sulfur dioxide, about half the nitrogen oxide emission concentration, and ash production of around a tenth the level associated with coal. The plant is opted out of the UK’s Large Combustion Plant Directive (LCPD) and therefore has run under a restricted operational regime of a maximum of 20,000 hours between 2008 and the station’s closure date in 2015. “It is currently unknown whether a switch to biomass will alter the station’s LCPD status, but even with closure in 2015, RWE npower considers such a switch to have useful benefits: the impact on current air emissions including the avoidance of over two megatons of [carbon dioxide] from burning coal,” Meredith said. “In addition, the use of 100 percent biomass on this project will allow us to explore the sustainable sourcing of such fuel and support the establishment of supply chain infrastructure in the UK” RWE npower is the UK unit of Germany-based RWE Group, which is constructing a 750,000-ton pellet plant in Waycross, Ga., slated for operation in 2011. The company chose the location because of the vast wood resources and availability of skilled workers in the forest industry, it said.

Biomass Biomass is growing in attractivity as being the only

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renewable source of energy that can behave as base capacity. However, there are many challenges in the supply chain mostly that can turn this attractive idea into a worse option that gas plants.

Information Users

Hydropower production

Measures taken to produce energy resulting from falling water, such as rivers or oceans. The major advantage of hydroelectricity is the elimination of the cost of fuel. The cost of operating a hydroelectric plant is nearly immune to increases in the cost of fossil fuels such as oil, natural gas or coal, and no imports are needed. Since hydroelectric dams do not burn fossil fuels, they do not directly produce carbon dioxide. While some carbon dioxide is produced during manufacture and construction of the project, this is a tiny fraction of the operating emissions of equivalent fossil-fuel electricity generation.

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Natural gas production

Natural gas is poised to play a greater role in the global energy mix. Natural gas has lower emissions of greenhouse gases than other fossil fuels. It helps diversify energy supply, provides flexible and quick back up capacity in power generation, and improves energy security. From 2010 global gas use is expected to rise by more than 50% from around 21% of the world's energy use to over 25% of world energy demand in 2035, pushing coal into decline and overtaking it by 2030.

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Relative amount of renewable energy sources used, including hydro, biofuels, solar, wind, geothermal, and biomass. Relates to frequency of use and what




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percentage of energy production comes from such sources. A combination of factors encourage energy producers and consumers to use renewable energies, including an expected doubling, even tripling, of the global energy demand by 2050; the need to cut global GHG by 50% during the same period (80% in OECD countries); the 1.4 billion people still without energy; and the need to improve global governance on the management of global risks from large-scale accidents. The World Energy Council considers these factors as a part of the following critical uncertainties: the climate framework, political instability and nuclear instability.

Electric utilities water management

Impact and risk assessments, and mitigation

Report the approaches to assess impacts (including fragmentation and isolation), develop mitigation measures and monitor residual effects at new and existing sites on the following: Forested areas; Landscape and Marine, freshwater and wetland ecosystems. Assessment and mitigation should consider conservation plans for indigenous species, alterations in the migration, breeding, or habitat of animals (e.g., fish passage) from the reporting organization’s infrastructure (e.g., power lines and dams).


Thermoelectric, thermal and hydroelectric production impacts on water

Thermoelectric (fossil, biomass, nuclear), thermal and air emissions impact surface waters and ecology. Hydro-electric, can impact water temperatures, quality, ecology. The withdrawal of water for power plant cooling that reduces water available for ecosystems; and

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(3) the heating and subsequent discharge of cooling water, which raises the ambient water temperature in rivers, streams, and lakes, with effects on natural ecosystems. Some wastewater is also produced by certain power plants, with concomitant impacts on water quality.

Water use efficiency

Energy demand in provision of water and wastewater services Energy required to be consumed in sourcing and treating water to a quality that meets social demands for industrial and health applications, and for treating wastewater to a standard that protects the health of the community and the environment. Measure can be reflected as energy demand per unit of water or wastewater treated. Social and environmental requirements for high standards of water and wastewater treatment require higher energy inputs to achieve this outcome. The issue is exacerbated as water resources diminish, and quality of source water deteriorates. Increased energy demands for provision of water and wastewater services impact upon the financial value of these services, and increase the greenhouse gas footprint of a utilities. Energy generation activities consume large volumes of

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water, creating a spiraling impact on the cost of provision of both services. This impact is a strong driver to seek water efficiency opportunities in energy utilities, and energy efficiency opportunities in water utilities. Risks include reduced economic viability of more sustainable use of water and wastewater resources, such as water recycling and fit-for-purpose reuse, and nutrient recovery from wastewater treatment. Opportunities include the increased viability of renewable energy technologies, including solar in isolated locations, hydropower and methane capture for energy generation.

Nuclear power plant water management

Thermal water discharge

Waste heat from power plant operations released into the environment. This usually refers to water that is pumped from a nearby body for use as condenser cooling water, where it picks up heat and then is discharged back into the water body. The heated water thus adds thermal energy to the water body, which may have an effect on the local ecosystems.


Water consumption

Nuclear power plants with recirculating water cooling (evaporation cooling towers) consume up to 35% more water than standard coal plants.

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Report overall water usage for processing, cooling and consumption in thermal and nuclear power plants, including use of water in ash handling and coal cleaning.


Water management

Collaborative approaches with

At the watershed or hydrological basin level, include collaborative approaches to managing watersheds and




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other water resource users

reservoirs for multiple uses (e.g., irrigation, drinking water, ecosystem conservation, etc.). Also report long-term planning for securing water resources, for meeting the needs of both the utility and other stakeholders (e.g. local communities). This includes describing the criteria for managing maximum/minimum flow of surface water and volume of ground water and how these are determined and maintained

Water related risks Although already a common issue, these issues will take even more importance going forward as the water stress intensifies around the globe


KPI 14 Water Abstraction Definition Water is an essential resource that is required for a healthy environment and is used in the production and provision of numerous goods and services, such as electricity. In the UK approximately a third of drinking water is abstracted from groundwater, whilst the remainder comes from surface water. Abstraction of water can have significant local, or more widespread, impacts on the environment. The threat of climate change, resulting in severe droughts, floods and storms, also constitutes a challenge for water resources management. Countries around the world are aware of the need to use water resources more efficiently and reduce waste in order to ensure availability of the




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resource in the long term. To achieve this goal various market and financial instruments have been put in place, such as abstraction charges, effluent consents and pricing mechanisms. Processes Water can be abstracted for public water supply to produce drinking water following treatment. It can also be abstracted directly for use by businesses for a wide variety of uses including irrigation and for industrial processes (e.g. coolant, carrier or solvent purposes). Sectors Water is abstracted by various companies including water and sewerage companies, industrial and chemical companies, and power companies. Many sectors rely heavily on supplied water, although this impact should be reported as a supply chain impact and not a direct KPI. For more information please refer to Figure 4 and to the section on supply chains (Section 4.5). Calculation or measurement procedures For abstracted water, the majority of charges are levied according to the licensed volume, but actual volumes abstracted are reported to the Environment Agency. It is the actual volumes abstracted that should be measured. Reporting guidance The table overleaf illustrates the scope of measures that should be reported. In most cases reporting will be much



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simpler, as most companies focus on a specific type of abstraction. The most appropriate way of reporting abstracted water should be in cubic metres. If an estimation method has been used this should also be reported. Compliance with any abstraction consents, such as those provided by the Environment Agency in the UK, should also be reported. Companies should also discuss whether water has been re-used or returned to source (e.g. cooling water). Direct abstraction should be reported as the volume taken, not the licensed volume. Water use It is important to distinguish water abstraction from the use of supplied water. The environmental impacts associated with supplied water use are indirect and more guidance on how these can be reported can be found in section 4.5 – Supply Chains.

Hydroelectric infrastructure

Natural water systems impacts

Water-related infrastructure imposes many changes on natural water systems. Large dams built for water storage, recreation, or flood control are intended to alter the natural hydrologic regime by affecting the size, distribution, and timing of streamflow. They also trap sediments and food sources used downstream in deltas, and affect temperature regimes leading to changes in ecosystems. Major irrigation systems withdraw water from rivers or lakes to be used consumptively on fields to grow food, reducing flows in natural systems. These physical, chemical, and geomorphological changes affect the biological productivity and characteristics of aquatic




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ecosystems, which in turn affect flora and fauna as well as economics and politics

Biodiversity and habitat management

Integrated resource management

The conservation of biological diversity is a critical component of sustainability at the field/stand level as well as at the landscape level. An integrated resource management plan will address the environmental risks associated with current and future production, appropriate to the scale and intensity of the operation


Offset habitats The presence of electricity utility infrastructure can result in impacts on biodiversity which may not be readily mitigated affected when utility infrastructure (e.g. power plants, wind farms, transmission lines, dams) are installed. One solution to this impacts is the concept of offset habitats. This indicator describes the extent to which the biodiversity in offset habitats compares with the original habitats. Offsets are being commonly employed and standards are currently being developed. This indicator is particularly relevant to organizations that have activities in sensitive natural habitats.


Pest and vegetation management - Line corridors, fragmentation and isolation

Report approaches for pest and vegetation management along transmission and distribution corridors (e.g., use of Integrated Pest Management and Integrated Vegetation Management).


Emissions to air Total CO2, NOx, SOx, VOC emissions in million tonnes 153 Financial Markets &



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Total CO2, NOx, SOx, VOC emissions in million tonnes by generation portfolio Total CO2, NOx, SOx, VOC emissions / total kWh produced

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Emissions to air - GHG emissions

Management and reduction strategies

The sector has shown a good track record so far in decreasing its overall CO2 intensity. We show that M&A activity has played a significant role in this trend for some companies.

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EN18 should be a CORE indicator for the sector.


Report CO2e per MWh, broken down by regulatory regime, for Net generation from all generating capacity; Net generation from all fossil fuel generation; and Estimated net delivery to end users. This includes emissions from own generation, as well as purchased power. A breakdown by regulatory regime is necessary because of the different CO2e allocation schemes in place


Emissions to air - Non-GHG emissions

Dust, mercury, etc.

Report emissions per MWh for: Net generation from all generating capacity; Net generation from all combustion power plants. Examples of “other significant air emissions” include but are not limited to mercury, coal pile dust, ash lagoons or ponds, precipitator dust, and reservoir draw down dust.


Emissions to air Acid Rain, Eutrophication and Smog Precursors Dust and Particles Ozone Depleting Substances Volatile Organic Compounds




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Metal emissions to air

Hazardous waste Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCBs)

Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) A group of toxic, bioaccumulative, and persistent chemicals used as an insulating medium in transformers and capacitors.


Nuclear waste Adherence to Nuclear Security and Safety Conventions

Level of compliance with relevant conventions, such as the Convention on Early Notification of a Nuclear Accident; Convention on Assistance in the Case of Nuclear Accident of Radiological Emergency; Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear material; Convention on Nuclear Safety; and Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management. Assurance of nuclear safety is reinforced by a number of intergovernmental agreements, including certain Conventions that are legally binding on the participating States. Since 1986, the 5 legally binding conventions previously noted that have the aim of increasing nuclear safety and security worldwide have been ratified in the areas of nuclear, radiation and waste safety.


Nuclear waste management

Nuclear power plant decommissioning

Nuclear decommissioning refers to safe handling, at the end of life, of nuclear power reactors and nuclear facilities. As the first generations of such reactors reach the end of their original design lives and some countries review their nuclear power programmes, the number of reactors to be decommissioned in the next ten years is set to increase significantly. Each decommissioning presents particular technical challenges and risks to human health and the environment. The cost of




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decommissioning varies greatly, depending on the reactor type and size, its location, the proximity and availability of waste disposal facilities, the intended future use of the site, and the condition of both the reactor and the site at the time of decommissioning. It represents a substantial share of the cost of a nuclear power reactor’s overall operations. The term “decommissioning” refers to safe management – at the end of life – of many different types of nuclear facilities and sites. Decommissioning is carried out at power stations, fuel processing facilities, research reactors, enrichment plants, nuclear and radiological laboratories, uranium mines and uranium processing plants. Reactors that power submarines and ships (including ice breakers and aircraft carriers) must also be decommissioned. The biggest growth area for decommissioning is civilian nuclear power reactor which the peat accumulated. Decommissioning typically generates two-thirds of all the very low, low, and intermediate level waste produced during a reactor’s lifetime. As the number of nuclear power plants scheduled for decommissioning grows, countries need to be prepared to handle these levels of waste. The scale of the task ahead will require national and international regulation, extensive funding, innovative technology and large numbers of trained workers. One lesson that begins to emerge is that nuclear power plants should be designed from the start for safe and efficient decommissioning



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Pretreatment, treatment and conditioning processes

Waste that contains or is contaminated with radionuclines arises from the number of activities involving the use of radioactive materials. Management involves pretreatment, treatment and conditioning processes that are principally referred to as 'delay and decay,' 'concentrate and contain' and 'dilute and disperse.' 'Delay and decay' involves holding the waste in storage until desired reduction in activity has occurred through radioactive decay of the radionuclides. 'Concentrate and contain' means reduction of volume and confinement of radionuclide content by means of a conditioning process to prevent or substantially reduce dispersion in the environment. 'Dilute and disperse' includes discharging effluent to the environment in an environmentally secure way. Such processes involve compliance with any relevant legal requirements/ conventions; safety assessments; emergency preparedness and response plans. Radioactive waste arises from the following activities: the operation and decommissioning of nuclear facilities; the use of radionuclides in medicine, industry, agriculture, research and education; the remediation of sites affected by radioactive residues from operations of various types or from accidents; and the processing of raw material containing naturally occurring radionuclides. Radioactive waste is harmful to the environment and society and requires strong preventative measures to ensure overall safety. For




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example, consider the devastating effects of the Chernobyl nuclear plant incident.

Storage methods Decommissioning generates waste that can be categorized as low, intermediate and high level nuclear waste. Although the radioactive waste volumes are relatively small, high level waste contains 95 per cent of the radioactivity in waste from the nuclear power industry. It will need to be kept isolated for thousands of years


Management strategy and storage methods for different types of radioactive nuclear waste, including: Temporary and permanent storage; Environmental, health and safety impacts of radioactive nuclear waste; and Security measures according to the applicable management standards/legislative framework. Report on nuclear waste using IAEA definitions and protocols. Report mass and activity of spent nuclear fuel sent for processing and reprocessing per year. In addition, report radioactive waste produced per net MWh nuclear generation per year. Report of mass low/intermediate level waste and high level waste separately, based on IAEA radioactive waste classification. This should also include waste produced from reprocessing activities.


The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) estimates that the industry annually produces 1 million barrels (200,000 m3) of what it considers ‘low and intermediate-level waste’ and about 50,000 barrels (10,000 m3) of the even more dangerous ‘high-level waste’. These numbers do not include spent nuclear




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fuel, which is also high-level waste. It takes 240,000 years for radioactive plutonium to decay to a level that is safe for human exposure, which is an even longer period than modern humans have been on the Earth (200,000 years). There is no way to guarantee that these substances can be kept safe for this amount of time. It is senseless to allow the nuclear industry to continue producing more nuclear waste.

KPI 13 Radioactive Waste Definition Radioactive waste is a by-product of the manufacture of nuclear fuel and also results from the production of electricity and from the use of radioactive materials. Radioactive waste can be classified into three main categories: • High Level Waste (HLW) is heat-generating waste produced by the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel. • Intermediate Level Waste (ILW) arises from the dismantling and reprocessing of spent fuel and from the general operation of nuclear plants. • Low Level Waste (LLW) contains radioactive materials but those which do not exceed certain defined activity levels. Radioactive waste in the UK is highly regulated. Companies must have authorisation from the environmental regulators under the Radioactive Substances Act 1993 (RSA93) to accumulate or dispose of radioactive waste and strict limits are imposed. There




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are also various EU Directives and international conventions covering the safety of nuclear facilities and disposal of radioactive waste. In 2006 the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM)35, a Government appointed body, will make recommendations to Ministers on the long-term management of higher activity radioactive waste. A separate review of Government policy on Low Level Radioactive Waste is also due to end with the production of a new policy statement in summer 2006. Processes Radioactive waste is produced by a number of industrial and medical processes. The majority of such waste, however, arises from the production of nuclear fuel, the use of nuclear fuel to generate electricity and the reprocessing of spent fuel from both UK and foreign electricity generators. Sectors The two sectors from which the majority of radioactive waste arises are the “Electricity, gas, steam, and hot water supply” sector, and the “Manufacture of coke, refined petroleum and nuclear fuel” sector. Many other industries, such as the medical sector and research establishments, also produce radioactive waste but in much lower quantities. For more information please refer to Figure 4.



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Calculation or measurement procedures Companies measuring radioactive waste should follow guidelines from the environmental regulators. More information can be found at: http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/radioactivity/waste/index.htm Companies that produce electricity from nuclear power should measure spent fuel. The weight of spent rods should be recorded by the company’s management system and then totaled for the year in order to report in metric tonnes per annum. Reporting guidance Solid radioactive waste should be reported at the company level on an annual basis in kg or metric tonnes of HLW, ILW and LLW. For LLW it is normal practice to report on disposals or transfers as a proxy for LLW generation. Where this is done, the information provided to the Environment Agency (for the purpose of monitoring compliance with the relevant transfer or disposal authorisation under RSA 93) should be reported. For HLW and ILW, it is normal practice to use estimates based on the information which the company has reported to Nirex for inclusion in the National Radioactive Waste Inventory. Nuclear power generators should report on the quantity of spent fuel used in power stations, in metric tonnes of uranium (teU) per annum. In addition, electricity



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producers should report the amount of electricity produced each year using nuclear energy in TWh. If an estimation method has been used this should also be reported.

Radioactive Waste Low Level Waste (by definition of U.S. Atomic Energy Act or applicable national law) produced in tonnes Intermediate Level Waste (by definition of U.S. Atomic Energy Act or applicable national law) produced in tonnes High Level Waste (by definition of U.S. Atomic Energy Act or applicable national law) produced in kg Transuranic Waste (by definition of U.S. Atomic Energy Act or applicable national law) produced in kg Radioactive waste subjected to reprocessing by Waste Level (LLW, ILW, HLW, TRUW) Radioactive waste stored at company property by Waste Level (LLW, ILW, HLW, TRUW) in tonnes


The key barrier to nuclear growth, or the ‘nuclear renaissance’ is political and public acceptance. Proponents of nuclear energy call it the most viable, currently available resource for meeting the world’s growing energy needs, while protagonists say that the by-product of nuclear energy – nuclear waste – has created one of the greatest problems of the 21st century. This can have a significant impact on bottom lines in the utilities sector.

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Social Skilled workers Workforce training, retention, renewal and expansion

Utilities are highly dependent on a number of stakeholders to conduct their business, including: Employees: on average, 35% to 45% of the workforce will reach retirement age within the next five years. Companies such as RWE AG have set up plans to address this challenge.

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Due to the critical nature of the Electric Utility industry and the fact that training in production, maintenance and distribution classifications can require as much as seven years, it is important for workforce planning purposes to assess how much of the workforce may be eligible for retirement in the foreseeable future. Furthermore, once employees become eligible for retirement, whatever their age, they become more vulnerable to recruitment by competitors in the industry.


Occupational health and safety

Employees, contractors and subcontractors

Given that contractor and subcontractor employees may engage in high-risk activities, reporting organizations are expected to ensure that they are trained on health and safety issues (e.g. electrocution, falling objects, confined spaces, containers, etc) for their own protection. It is important to report on contractors and subcontractors since there is a trend in the electricity utility sector towards outsourcing work to third parties.


Safety practices in electric utilities

Frequency of equipment maintenance and upgrades in order to ensure safe energy production practices and meet existing requirements (national and international). Design features may need modification to meet new standards. This relates to the different facilities required for nuclear energy production, such as Fuel Cycle




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facilities, Radioactive Waste Disposal facilities and Mining and Milling facilities. Involves the education and training of operations staff based on continuous improvement of best practices in relation to safety, i.e. involvement in operating experience feedback (OEF) processes. Additionally, involves inclusion of 'nuclear installation,' which is defined as any land-based civil nuclear power plant including such storage, handling and treatment facilities for radioactive materials as are on the same site and are directly related to the operation of the nuclear power plant. IAEA notes that in general, serious accidents are almost always preceded by less serious precursor events. Similarly, the degradation of equipment status or safety culture is frequently signaled by precursors. Taking action to eliminate the risk factors ahead of time and to prevent the recurrence of similar events significantly reduces the probability of serious accidents. This taking action involves continuous improvement in operation practices through the sharing of best practices in operating experience feedback (OEF) processes within countries/ nations/ groups. IAEA encourages enhancement of OEF systems to meet the needs of the ever-increasing number of nuclear stakeholders and asserts that fully effective international OEF systems should include a feedback process that enables the recipients of original report to provide information on



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the safety enhancement measures undertaken as the result of the report.

Safety practices in electric utilities and transport

Percentage of incidents related to workplace transport, use of work equipment, road traffic and dealing with potentially harmful substances. Relates to infrastructure developments, such as with pipeline construction and sustainability. Risks to the safety and health of the operations staff involved in generating electricity exist. According to the Energy Network Association, the main risks involve workplace transport, road traffic accidents, struck by moving vehicles and slipping or falling during repairs.

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Impacts on local communities

Health risks from exposure to electric and magnetic fields

State the processes for assessing community health risks including monitoring, prevention measures and, if applicable, long term health- related studies. Identify community health risks that are assessed such as: Compliance with exposure limit(s) to electric fields (in kV per m) and magnetic fields (in μT) where available, for members of the public and employees in the areas in which the reporting organization operates.


Landscape, infrastructure and services, land-use, social structures and culture

Include discussions of programs related to: Ways in which information is exchanged and local population is involved, prior, during and after the event and the provision for intervener funding for the local population; Influx of workers and impacts on neighboring communities (including changes to local social structures and culture); Changes to land-use including loss of global commons (e.g. access to land, natural resources, and




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heritage); Impacts on infrastructure (e.g. roads, housing), and access to services (e.g. education, utilities, healthcare); and Changes to the aesthetics and quality of the landscape.

Local community displacement

The construction or expansion of electricity utility infrastructure can result in the displacement of local residents. Affected people can experience loss of livelihoods, breakdown of social networks, and loss of access, among other impacts.


Local community engagement

New plant instalment

Utilities are highly dependent on a number of stakeholders to conduct their business, including: Local communities: Not In My Back-Yard attitude is quite strong when it comes to building power plants, waster or water treatment facilities, or transmission lines. Our Head of Utilities referred to this as the ‘banana issue’, Build Absolutely Nothing Near Anything, which is faced by the sector.

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Most electric utility markets are made up of a few large players or monopolies. At the same time, there is more direct public sector involvement in the management of supply and demand. Decisions that might be market- driven in other sectors, are not always so in the electricity sector, due to the physical nature of electricity and the demands of maintaining a stable electricity system for vital services to the population. Electric utilities also provide a particularly important input into planning process around energy strategies and infrastructure development given their role as providers of the service. The nature of this engagement and the




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level transparency afforded to stakeholders varies significantly. This indicator addresses the process by which a utility develops its inputs and proposals regarding energy planning and infrastructure development and involves civil society organizations in such a process.

Access to electricity

Electricity supply is a basic necessity whether supplied on- or off-grid. It is key for enabling access to many other technologies and services. Programs to improve access to electricity can deliver significant improvements to the standard of living for individuals and communities. The purpose of this indicator is to report the programs which provide and improve access to electricity and which help to avoid disconnections for residential customers. Access is defined as the ability to use an affordable, reliable and unrestricted electricity supply. People can be denied access to electricity for a number of reasons, including but not limited to geographic isolation and/or financial poverty.


Land use rights The right to access the land is not restricted by a narrow interpretation of property rights. The rights‐holders have human rights, which may not include land‐ownership rights, partly because some countries do not recognize individual property rights, and partly because some people may not have legal title to the land on which they live or work, but may have customarily done so for years, if not generations. That aspect has huge significance for the landless and other rights are also involved. It affects those with land rights, and those who




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work on the land, such as sharecroppers, and those who use land seasonally, such as pastoralists or informal businesses common in many parts of Africa. These groups often correlate with those that are already the most vulnerable groups in society (e.g. due to gender, caste or age discrimination). Their not owning property rights does not mean they do not have rights – The impact on human rights is felt much before business operations begin – even when a company expresses its intention to develop a project in a particular area, there are human rights implications, because of raised expectations within a community. The power asymmetry between State and communities, between private economic interests and individuals or groups, often becomes the determining factor in shaping the land ownership dilemma. Business, civil society, and governments have a common interest in developing a framework that prevents human rights abuses at all stages of business’ relationship with land – before acquisition, during acquisition, and after operations have commenced and, if necessary, concerning appropriate relocation, rehabilitation and compensation. The extraction of natural resources – oil, gas, and mining – has commanded considerable attention in the area of business and human rights, but other businesses – tourism, manufacturing, infrastructure projects, power plants, public highways, irrigation projects, and even urban office complexes and supermarkets require land.



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Corruption Water management

Experts concur that the water crisis is a crisis of water governance. Corruption is certainly not its only cause, but it is a major factor and a catalyst in this crisis. Corruption pervades all aspects of the water sector, it inflates costs for drinking water, how it is detrimental for irrigation or large dams and it abets large-scale water pollution. Corruption creeps into water management in many industrialised countries and makes the global adaptation to climate change even more difficult.


Demand-side management

Relevant customer information (e.g., safety, handling, measurement)

Provision of information is essential to ensure consumers have access to electricity delivering significant improvements to their standard of living. Electricity and electric power generation can be lethal if not handled/generated/used in a safe manner. Electric utilities need to communicate the dangers associated with their operations and the measures in place to prevent customers being harmed. In some areas where the primary national language may not be the dominant language, organizations should ensure that all literature, signage, labeling and communication are in a language which can be understood by all. Similarly people with disabilities should be considered when the organization communicates important customer related or health and safety information.


Customer education

Programs to enhance energy efficiency within the company and for customers Measures taken or planned, concerning efficiency of production sites and power lines.

450, 551 Business



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Measures taken or planned to support customers in order to save energy. Impact of efficiency programs. Efficiency programs help to safe resources (fuels, landscape, nature) and help to reduce emissions or waste. Innovative approaches can serve as best practice for other companies.

The planning, implementation and monitoring of utility activities designed to encourage customers to modify patterns of electricity usage is called Demand Side Management (DSM). DSM affects the timing and level of electricity demand by encouraging the use of energy efficient devices and enhanced customer behaviour to reduce demand and waste of energy. The primary objective of most demand-side management (DSM) programs is to provide cost- effective energy and capacity resources to help defer the need for new sources of power, including generating facilities, power purchases, and transmission and distribution capacity additions. Some electric utilities are also using DSM as a way to enhance customer service and demonstrate action on climate change.


Customer energy consumption awareness

Integration of energy efficient production processes and consumption options for clients, including 'smart meter' provisions, incentives for using 'green energy,' such as wind energy and implementation of CCS (carbon capture and storage) processes. Relates to electricity generation

86, 125 Business



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by the industry, including transportation, as well as consumption patterns by households and commercial centers. Increasing energy demands parallel increasing energy prices. Key findings from the IEA Indicator Analysis by the International Energy Agency show that between 1990 and 2005, global final energy consumption increased by 23% and consequently, the relative amount of CO2 emissions increased 25%. Trends in CO2 emissions are driven by the amount and type of energy used and the indirect emissions associated with the production of electricity. Therefore, by implementing efficient energy programs, energy retailers can simultaneously benefit the environment, their consumers and enhance their competitive edge. Developments in technology will create new opportunities for both energy efficient programs and increased energy consumption awareness by consumers. Consumers can contribute to efficient energy use by purchasing 'green energy' programs and implementing tools, such as Smart Meters. Smart meters are devises that measure and records electricity use at different times of the day while providing real-time pricing information. Clearly communicating consumption data, smart meters assist consumers in better managing their energy consumption and therefore, reduces the cost of building and maintaining the electricity network as well as improves the reliability of supply.



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Smart metering customer equipped with smart metering applications


Electricity supply Electricity availability and reliability

This provides information on the reporting organization’s plans and processes to ensure reliability, delivering sufficient capacity to the market and ensuring the grid capacity to transport or distribute to the customer. This is an important sustainability issue since electricity is an essential service for socio-economic stability. Daily lives are increasingly dependent on electricity, which is key for enabling access to many technologies and services.


Energy production shortfall due to material supply constraints

impact of production shortfall caused by material supply constraints


Long-term planning

This indicator provides information on the utility’s planned electricity capacity and its projected future energy requirements. It aims to show whether the reporting organization is planning to install enough energy capacity to meet future demand.


Plant and grid design and planning

Beyond materials used for construction of the plant, energy security relates to energy availability, load availability, planned capability loss and unplanned capability loss of an energy generating plant. Energy availability is the percentage of power that could be generated; measures the potential amount of energy




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that could be produced after all planned and unplanned losses are removed. Load availability is the Percentage of power that could be generated; measures the potential amount of energy that could be produced after all planned and unplanned losses are removed. Planned capability loss is the percentage of maximum energy generation that a plant is not capable of supplying to the electric grid because of planned energy losses, such as annual maintenance shutdowns. Losses considered planned if scheduled in advance. Unplanned capability loss is percentage of maximum energy generation that a plant is not capable of supplying to the electric grid because of unplanned energy losses, such as unplanned shutdowns, outage extensions or load reductions due to unavailability. Losses considered unplanned if not planned in advance. These 'factors' are core performance indicators measured by the WEC. One of the factors used for benchmarking, international comparison or analysis of nuclear power availability and reliability, national or worldwide perspectives. Allows for the identification of performance opportunities for the purpose of improving reliability, addressing environmental imperatives and monitoring cost improvement. Additionally, alternative fuel design concepts can facilitate safer fuel production and increase operational flexibility and reliability.



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Prevention of interruption of services

Report on management mechanisms to address the right to organize, right to bargain and right to strike or instances of lock out, given the context of the industry’s need to ensure continuous provision of essential services. Where the right to strike does not exist or is limited, report on remedial measures such as binding arbitration. Where freedom of association or expression are limited or prevented by regulatory regime, report on mechanisms and processes that exist for getting employee input on conditions of employment.


Quality service - Power supply and consistent voltage

An electric utility should provide quality service with uninterrupted power supply and consistent voltage. In some cases, electricity cannot be provided continuously and power outages can occur. Duration demonstrates the ability of a utility to restore power in a timely manner. / Generation plants do not operate all the time because planned and unplanned outages occur. These outages can result from maintenance and operational issues. Unplanned outages have financial implications since preferred generation capacity is often replaced by less efficient and more expensive plant.


Nuclear power plant decommissioning

Costs Decommissioning costs much lower than perception Looking at the decommissioning of seventeen nuclear plants since 1973 – and cross checking the figures with the French Ministry of Trade and the World Energy Council – we estimate average decommissioning & dismantling costs at €0.7bn per GW. This is much lower than the current perception in the market.

519 Business



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Safe decommissioning planning

With new nuclear power sites coming on line and old sites being decommissioned it is essential that those energy utilities concerned have provisions in place for the safe decommissioning of their sites. This indicator provides information on the reporting organization’s means for decommissioning nuclear power sites. It ensures that the reporting organization has plans in place for the decommissioning of its sites and that they are carried out in a safe and secure manner that complies with international regulations.


Other Construction of new facilities and electricity transport infrastructure

Stakeholder engagement, land rights Changes in supply and demand patterns in the electricity sector mean an increased need for replacement / addition of transport capacity. However these projects encounter more and more difficulties in siting.


Customer portfolio

Residential, industrial, institutional and commercial customers

The number of residential, industrial, institutional and customer accounts gives an overall view on the scale of business generated by the reporting organisation. This indicator shows the scale of the business from the point of view of the number of customers


Facilities and infrastructure

Age of facilities Age of power stations, production or distribution sites including pipelines


Capacity and energy source

The installed capacity of the reporting organization broken down by primary energy source and by regulatory regime, shows in more detail the reporting organization’s operations within a regulatory regime or




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geographic context. An understanding of installed capacity provides an initial indication of the environmental, social and economic impacts likely to arise from a given power generation portfolio based on footprint of infrastructure.

Transmission and distribution lines

The length of transmission and distribution lines shows the extent of the reporting organisation’s energy transmission and distribution infrastructure. It also gives an impression on the overall scale of the utility.


Product portfolio Capacity and energy source

Current and planned electricity mix both in production and sales From which resources does the Company derive its electricity? Hydro, coal, gas, wind, solar, biomass, .... ENTSO-E-mix. Electricity mix is most relevant concerning use of resources, emissions and other environmental impact e.g. land use. It has strong consequences on the economical performance of the company. It is the task of electric utilities to enhance development also in decentralized production.

553 Business

Percentage of total energy produced (coal, lignite, wind, water, gas, biogas, solar, nuclear, THG)




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Business context Exploitable resources, prices, laws and regulations, technical innovations, governmental subsidies, and public mindset

Current and expected regulatory framework, market development and strategy derived from that. Expectations for exploitable resources, prices, laws and regulations, technical innovations, governmental subsidies, public mindset etc. All these factors influence economic success and are of high relevance for us. Exploitable resources: dependency on oil, coal and gas deliveries Prices: prices of fuels as well as prices, that we are able to earn for our product Laws and Regulations: Water framework directive, Kyoto climate targets, EU-Energy Efficiency Guideline Technical innovations: development of wind turbines, photovoltaic panels and other means for producing renewable energy. Governmental subsidies and price regulations for renewable energy. Public mindset: acceptance of wind parks, hydropower sites etc.

552 Business

Emergency preparedness

Disaster/emergency and service recovery and restoration plans

The infrastructure of most electric utilities presents potential hazards, which can have serious impacts. Examples of concerns include major accidents, natural disasters and terrorist attacks. These require contingency planning measures, disaster/emergency management plans and training programs, and recovery/restoration plans. A major incident can not




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only threaten the lives of surrounding communities but also leave a region without service and the company with high restoration costs. This indicator is particularly relevant to nuclear and large scale hydro power generation, but it is applicable across the sector. This indicator describes the disaster/ emergency management and recovery/restoration plans the reporting organization has in place. In many cases these plans are developed in cooperation with regional or national government

Network Transmission Regulations

Adherence to international and national regulations

Level of compliance with network transmission regulations, including the network tariff level, network tariff structure, network connection tariffs, and congestion management. Such regulations can be international, national and/ or regional. There is an increasing demand for energy connections within and between countries due to growing demand for electricity across territories. Such demand ensues in the merging/ overlapping of international, national and regional network regulations and fuels greater competition between providers that ultimately leads to increased reliability, economic efficiency and contributions to sustainable development.


Political accountability

There are various measures of political accountability that can be measured (contributions, disclosure, board oversight). Note that this topic is applicable to more than the three

394, 616 Financial Markets & Information Users



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industries noted. Essentially the political accountability practices of any company that is owned by public stockholders. Political contributions, the amount of disclosure and board oversight are among the data items that would be helpful in a sustainability report. In making investment decisions (especially for investors interested in socially responsible investing) is would be helpful to understand how a given company is exposed to political risk (i.e. are they backing the winning candidate, are they subject to potential retribution, why do they find it necessary to make political contributions, etc.). I have found the information I reference to be helpful in constructing investment portfolios that take into account this attribute of sustainability. Since it is not currently an established parameter in the socially responsible investment industry (www.ussif.org), adoption by the Global Reporting Initiative would go a long way in moving the topic of political accountability forward.

Reliance on contractors and subcontractors

Safety and reliability of operations

Electric utility companies sometimes employ contractors and subcontractors to carry out work for either economic reasons, to cover peak demand (i.e. during maintenance), due to lack of available staff or a lack of particular skill sets. A reliance on contractors and subcontractors can result in issues related to: Lack of management control of high risk activities; Safety of




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contractor and subcontractor employees; and Reliability of operations. Construction, maintenance and operation activities are important for electricity utility companies. They are most likely to impact on the reliability of service and also present the highest risk to safety of employees and society. This indicator describes the reliance of the reporting organization on contractors and subcontractors

Research and product development

Reliable electricity and sustainable development

Research and development into providing reliable and sustainable electricity is an important part of today’s energy landscape. In particular, it is important that energy utilities find new, more sustainable ways of providing energy.


Trade agreements on energy

Adherence to international and national agreements and/or regulations

Identification of and level of compliance with legal obligations put forth by local governments and international agencies, such as GATT and WTO. GATT and WTO agreements provide framework for energy trade - import and export - that pursue measures for environmental protection and equal competitive opportunities in the importing country.


* GRI Sector Guidance

1 All references can be found at https://www.globalreporting.org/reporting/sector-guidance/Topics-Research/Pages/default.aspx




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References

All references can be found at https://www.globalreporting.org/reporting/sector-guidance/Topics-Research/Pages/default.aspx

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157 European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSOE), 2012. 10-Year Network Development Plan 2012, Brussels: European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSOE).

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530 United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), 2012. UNEP Year Book 2012, Emerging Issues in our Global Environment, Nairobi: UNEP Division of Early Warning and Assessment, United Nations Environment Programme.

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577 World Energy Council, 2009. Trade and Investment Rules for Energy, London: World Energy Council.

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* GRI Sector Guidance

° Resource available on request and/or for a fee

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