Clause 18
Energy Bill
10:30 am
David Amess (Southend West, Conservative)
With this it will be convenient to discuss new clause 18—Provision for regulations for a carbon dioxide performance standard on electricity generating stations —
‘After section 36B of the Electricity Act 1989 insert—
“36C Generating stations: carbon dioxide emissions performance standard
(1) The Secretary of State may by regulation prescribe a carbon dioxide emission performance standard applying to any generating stations requiring consent for construction or extension under section 36.
(2) Regulations under this section must prescribe a carbon dioxide emission performance standard that is in no case greater than 400 kilograms of carbon dioxide per megawatt hour of electricity generated at any individual generating station.
(3) Regulations under this section may prescribe—
(a) the ways in which proposed generating stations are able to demonstrate compliance with the carbon dioxide emission performance standard including by way of carbon capture and storage;
(b) the information that must be submitted with an application under section 36 to demonstrate compliance with the carbon dioxide emission performance standard;
(c) how compliance by generating stations that have demonstrated compliance with the prescribed performance standard and are granted consent under section 36 shall be monitored and enforced, including appointing and conferring powers on an appropriate agency to carry out such monitoring and enforcement;
(d) any sources of electricity generation that are deemed to be compliant with the carbon dioxide emission performance standard including electricity generated from renewable sources.
(4) The Secretary of State shall not grant a consent under section 36 for any generating station that does not comply with any prescribed standard.
(5) Before making regulations under this section (including setting the level of performance standard), the Secretary of State shall consult—
(a) electricity generators;
(b) the Gas and Electricity Markets Authority;
(c) the Gas and Electricity Consumer Council;
(d) the Environment Agency with regard to England and Wales;
(e) the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency with regard to Scotland;
(f) other persons or bodies representing the interests of the electricity industry, local government and the environment, and
(g) any other persons or bodies as he may consider appropriate.
(6) The Secretary of State must make regulations under this section no later than 12 months from the date on which this Act is passed.
(7) Any regulations under this section shall not be made unless a draft at the instrument containing it has been laid before, and approved by a resolution of, each House of Parliament.
(8) In this section—
“carbon dioxide emission performance standard” means a standard prescribed by regulation setting the maximum amount of carbon dioxide that may be emitted from a generating station.”’.