Source · Select Committees · Welsh Affairs Committee
Recommendation 6
6
Acknowledged
Paragraph: 61
We recognise the strengths of an electricity grid that serves the whole of Great Britain.
Conclusion
We recognise the strengths of an electricity grid that serves the whole of Great Britain. However, we conclude that there are distinct challenges and opportunities relating to grid infrastructure in Wales that require specific focus and intervention from the UK Government.
Government Response Summary
The Government recognises distinct challenges and opportunities relating to grid infrastructure in Wales and is taking various actions to support stakeholder engagement and coordinated and strategic electricity grid network design with the Welsh Government represented on OTNR governance forums.
Paragraph Reference:
61
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
The Government recognises that across the whole of Britain’s electricity network, different regions have different challenges and opportunities and that these often require different solutions. The Government is also conscious that each part of Britain and its network challenges feed into the wider grid and so it must be viewed as a whole. The Government is taking various actions to support stakeholder engagement and coordinated and strategic electricity grid network design. For example, the Welsh Government is represented on the main OTNR governance forums: the Project Board and the Working Group, both of which meet monthly, and feed into the HND which identifies key projects to support the roll-out of offshore wind. Direct engagement with Welsh Government took place in support of the HND delivered in July and is ongoing for the HND Follow Up Exercise. The Welsh Government also continues to be a member the Central Design Group, which supports the ESO in their work in this space. BEIS will continue to engage with the Devolved Administrations both as we work to deliver the projects included in the HND and the HND Follow Up Exercise, and on the development of subsequent strategic network planning exercises.