Committee to question Secretary of State on energy and net zero
The Industry and Regulators Committee will follow up on its 2022 report, The net zero transformation: delivery, regulation and the consumer with the Rt Hon Claire Coutinho MP, Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero. The Committee will question the Secretary of State on whether the Government has set out the necessary policies to achieve its ambitious targets for the energy sector. In particular, the Committee will examine whether there are sufficient incentives in place to encourage a large increase in private investment in the energy sector, including into any new energy technologies that the Government intends to rely on in a decarbonised energy system.
The Committee will also discuss the role of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero in co-ordinating cross-government action on net zero, and the responsibilities of Ofgem and the forthcoming National Energy System Operator in planning and delivering a net zero energy system. The Committee will consider the role of consumers in the energy transition and the extent to which retail energy suppliers will have to change their business models.
Meeting details
Possible questions include:
- On common issues such as green industry or electric vehicles, how does the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero interact with other government departments?
- Has the Government set out sufficient policy to meet its target of a secure, decarbonised power system by 2035?
- What impact will adding the net zero target explicitly into Ofgem’s duties have on how it carries out its activities?
- Are consumers sufficiently aware of the changes they will have to make to their energy use, and will the Government take a lead in communicating the changes they need to make?