Select committee: Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Committee

Recommendation 52

Eleventh Report - Decarbonisation of the power sector Published 28 Apr 2023 Paragraph 216 Addressed to Department for Business and Trade
Recommendation (the committee's words)
Despite welcome progress by National Grid ESO to develop and implement new initiatives to harness flexibility, there is still more to be done to ensure that clear signals are provided regarding the location, duration and value of future constraints. We recommend that National Grid ESO sends stronger identifying when and where constraints are likely to occur, their value and duration.

From: Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Committee, Eleventh Report - Decarbonisation of the power sector (HC 283), paragraph 216, 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.

Read the government's response ↗ Report an error