Investigating long-term electricity supply – energy providers give evidence to Lords Committee

On Tuesday 28 October the House of Lords Science and Technology Select Committee will also hear from a third energy provider, Ovo Energy, as well as from renowned academic in the field of energy, Professor Dieter Helm.

In the first of two evidence sessions, the committee will question three energy providers, EON UK, EDF Energy, and Ovo Energy, at 10.40am. The witnesses are Guy Newey, Head of Policy, Ovo Energy; Dr Laurence Barrett, Strategy Project Manager, E.ON UK; and Paul Spence, Director of Strategy and Corporate Affairs, EDF Energy.

Questions they will face include:

• How resilient is the electricity system at the moment?
• Is the right balance being struck between market forces and Government intervention?
• What impact might future developments in technology have on the resilience of the electricity system?
• Will the Capacity Market be effective at balancing supply and demand in the medium term?

Then at approximately 11.40am the Committee will question Professor Dieter Helm CBE, University of Oxford. Professor Helm is an economist specialising in utilities, infrastructure, regulation and the environment, and has recently published a book entitled The Carbon crunch: how we are getting climate change wrong and how to fix it.

Questions he will face include:

• How resilient is the electricity system at the moment, especially over the next two winters?
• How should the Government balance future renewables research and development against more imminent need to bring emissions down?
• Is the Government taking the right path towards decarbonisation of the electricity system?

The Committee evidence sessions will take place at 10.40am in Committee Room 4A in the House of Lords, on Tuesday 28 October.

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