National Grid and Ofgem face Lords questions on EU energy policy

Mike Calviou, Director of Transmission Network Service at National Grid will be joined in the session by Martin Crouch, Director of Offshore Transmission, European Strategy at Ofgem.

Mr Crouch is also an Observer on the Board of Regulators and Chair of the ACER Electricity Working Group, Agency for the Cooperation of European Regulators (ACER).

The Committee will use the session to explore with the witnesses how the interconnection between the UK and the EU can be improved, so that energy costs across the board can be lowered. It will quiz the witnesses on issues including:

• how better electricity interconnections with other countries contribute towards the security of UK energy supply;
• their views on the UK Government's idea that, rather than rely on interconnection, power companies should be paid to guarantee an energy supply; 
• resistance to interconnection by Transmission System Operators (TSOs), such as National Grid - for example a possible France to UK line through the Channel Tunnel;
• how regulators form a barrier to interconnection and grid development and what can be done to tackle this and other obstacles; and
• improvements that have happened – and those that can be approved – in regulatory cooperation across the EU.

The evidence session will take place on Wednesday 6 February at 11am in Committee Room 2.

The sessions will be webcast live at www.parliamentlive.tv and are also open to the public. Journalists wishing to attend should go to Parliament's Cromwell Green Entrance and should allow time for security screening.