Utility companies and environmental information - pulling the plug

Until recently, most utility companies believed that they had a legal duty to make a range of environmental information available to the public. The Information Commissioner said that this was the effect of the Environmental Information Regulations 2004. But, in a case involving several water companies, the Information Commissioner has now changed his mind.

This new decision is important and has far reaching consequences not only in the water sector but for all utility companies - relieving them of a costly burden, but potentially keeping a great deal of environmental information out of the public domain.

Wragge & Co's Public Law & Regulation experts provide an analysis of the decision and discuss obligations on utility companies to provide information.