Select committee: Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Committee
Recommendation 25
Eleventh Report - Decarbonisation of the power sector
Published 28 Apr 2023
Paragraph 127
Addressed to Department for Business and Trade
Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Committee Decarbonisation of the power sector All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Recommendation (the committee's words)
The Committee has been concerned to hear reports about alleged misreporting by Drax to Ofgem in order to draw down public funds. We note that Ofgem has started a special audit process. We call on Ofgem to ensure a thorough investigation of the evidence that supported Drax submissions, specifically in respect of the sourcing of wood biomass, and for Ofgem to request access to any internal or independent external audits undertaken at Drax to investigate this issue. We ask Ofgem to report back to the Committee once this investigation has concluded.
From: Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Committee, Eleventh Report - Decarbonisation of the power sector (HC 283), paragraph 127, 28 April 2023
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 14 July 2023 (deadline 28 June 2023).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government welcomes the Committee's report and responds to each recommendation, planning annual reporting on power sector decarbonisation while setting out where it will not adopt specific proposals.
- On the call for a long-term delivery plan, the government "plans to report on its delivery, and overall plan to deliver the commitment, on an annual basis", and is strengthening its portfolio management approach.
- On a UK-wide onshore wind target, it states that setting one "would potentially undermine the flexibility needed" across the UK.
- On biomass, it has "no plans to remove support prior to 2027" for stations already supported, saying they "have a statutory right to their existing support".
- On Ofgem's duties, it is "content to amend" Ofgem's existing duty on greenhouse gases to refer specifically to the net zero targets in the Climate Change Act 2008.