Committee to begin inquiry on energy grid and grid connections
The Industry and Regulators Committee will begin its inquiry into the energy grid and grid connections by hearing from Energy UK, a trade body for the energy industry. The Committee will be considering the barriers to delivering new network infrastructure and connecting generation and demand to the energy system, including barriers posed by the planning system. The Committee will consider whether a move to locational pricing could help to reduce the need for additional grid investment. This 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 Committee will also inquire into the roles and responsibilities of the sector’s various regulators and bodies. For instance, the Committee will be looking at the National Energy System Operator’s proposals for connections queue reform, and Ofgem’s regulation of distribution networks.
Meeting details
Possible questions include:
- What is your view of the National Energy System Operator’s proposals to reform the connections queue? Will those changes be sufficient to ensure that projects necessary to meet the clean power target will be able to connect in a timely way?
- What community incentives and/or obligations might best enable grid expansion, and how should they be decided?
- What incentives need to be introduced to encourage generation and energy demand to locate closer to one another?
- Is there sufficient coordination between Government policy and the regulatory processes and frameworks for energy networks?