Committee questions network companies on the energy grid
The Industry and Regulators Committee will continue its inquiry into the energy grid and grid connections by hearing from transmission network companies about their experience of connecting new sources of energy to the grid and transporting energy across the country. The Committee will question National Grid and SSEN Transmission on the barriers they face in trying to expand grid capacity, including those posed by the planning system. The Committee will also discuss how network investment is managed through Ofgem’s price controls, how network companies are incentivised to connect new sources of energy supply, and the roles and responsibilities of the sector’s various regulators and bodies.
Meeting details
At 10:30am: Oral evidence
Inquiry
The energy grid and grid connections
Director of Regulation at National Grid Electricity Transmission
Head of Public Affairs and Policy at SSEN Transmission
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?
- Are energy networks incentivised to ensure timely connections for new sources of energy generation, or for the volume of generation they have connected to their networks?
- Is there sufficient clarity on the roles of the various bodies driving energy policy and regulation?