UK's Ofgem to probe five generators over capacity market auction

(Reuters) - Britain's energy market regulator Ofgem has opened an investigation to see if five electricity generators gave false or misleading information about planning consents for some units that took part in a capacity auction last December. Britain has launched a power capacity market to ensure a reliable electricity supply, with generators being awarded payments in exchange for guarantees to provide power when renewable sources fail to produce enough. The companies being investigated are GF Power Peaking Ltd, Berangere Ltd, Adret Ltd, Alkane Energy UK and Power Balancing Service Ltd. Most of the units to be investigated are newly built and have secured capacity agreements for 15 years. The opening of these investigations did not imply that any findings about non-compliance had been made, Ofgem said. (Reporting by Nerijus Adomaitis in Oslo; editing by Susan Thomas)