Delivering secure low carbon electricity: A call for evidence
Potential future challenges exist in relation to electricity security of supply as the UK economy moves towards a low carbon future.
Three quarters of our electricity comes from coal and gas. However, by 2050 virtually all of our electricity will need to come from renewable sources, nuclear, or fossil fuels where carbon dioxide emissions are captured and safely stored for the long-term. Electricity use may increase in line with economic growth and if we use electricity for heat and transport, so we will probably need more in the future than we do today.
The scale and pace of the transformation the Government expects to see in the electricity sector means that it needs to be alert to new challenges. Ensuring security of supply is a particular challenge because of the lead times for building new power stations and the requirement for significant capital investment. The Government is therefore creating a supportive climate for timely investment in a diverse mix of low-carbon technologies. The Government is also ensuring that the market and regulatory framework can adapt to cope with the different characteristics of low-carbon electricity generation technologies.
We believe that the risk to security of electricity supplies over the next decade is manageable, but that the scale and pace of change required will test the electricity market during the transition to the low-carbon economy.
We have therefore issued a call for evidence to further explore these issues; we are keen to receive comments and views from all from that have an interest in this area.
Questions and responses (email preferred) should be directed to:
Iain Morrow
Energy Security Strategy Team
Department of Energy and Climate Change
Area E, 4th Floor
3 Whitehall Place
London
SW1A 2HD
tel: 0300 068 6076
iain.morrow@decc.gsi.gov.uk
The relevant documents are below.
Deadline for response 28 October 2009.