Lords committee seeks views on energy grid and grid connections

The House of Lords Industry and Regulators Committee has issued a call for evidence for its inquiry into the energy grid and grid connections. 
 
The inquiry will focus on the regulatory, planning and funding barriers to delivering energy infrastructure and the ability of the Government’s proposals to address them. 
 
The Committee is seeking evidence from industry specialists, businesses, local authorities and other relevant stakeholders on a number of questions, including:

• what is your view of the National Energy System Operator’s (NESO) proposals to reform the connections queue? 
• what barriers to delivering energy network infrastructure are imposed by the planning and consenting system? 
• what community incentives and/or obligations might best enable grid expansion, and how should they be decided?
• how can environmental considerations be accommodated in extending the grid network?
• are Ofgem’s price controls and regulatory regime appropriately balanced to ensure the necessary network investment to meet the UK’s clean power target? 
• what incentives need to be introduced to encourage generation and energy demand to locate closer to one another?
• Does the current number of regulators and bodies involved in managing, overseeing and operating energy networks make it difficult to deliver at the necessary pace? 

Baroness Taylor of Bolton, Chair of the Industry and Regulators Committee, said:

“The Government has set an ambitious target aiming for at least 95% of electricity generation in Great Britain to be clean by 2030. Improving energy network infrastructure will therefore be crucial to delivering its economic and climate objectives. 

Our inquiry provides an opportunity to assess the detail and feasibility of the Government’s plans to update and reform the grid, and to propose recommendations for refining and executing these plans.”
The complete list of questions, plus details how to submit evidence by the deadline of Friday 28 February, can be found on the Committee’s website.