Written evidence to be reported to the House
Energy Bill
12:00 pm
Alan Whitehead (Southampton, Test, Labour)
I have some questions on investment in transmission and in plant. First, clause 40 relates to offshore energy transmission and gives Ofgem several responsibilities in respect of encouraging grid replacement and enhancement on an offshore basis, particularly through offshore wind renewables. Are you happy that the powers that the Bill provides are sufficient to develop those processes in the time scale that is clearly necessary?
Secondly, are you happy that the general imperative to increase investment, particularly in large renewable plant, will be undertaken on the basis of the present arrangements and brief of Ofgem, when probably at present the quickest and most competitive replacement for plant that is retiring is a combined cycle gas turbine power station with no combined heat and power or any other saving device attached to it? The general point of the question is whether the Bill is sufficient to enable the shape of energy reinvestments to happen in the way that we now feel that we need to direct them.