Edward Davey statement in response to Committee on Climate Change letter
Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Edward Davey's statement in response to Committee on Climate Change letter
Edward Davey, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change said:
“We are currently considering a 2030 electricity decarbonisation target but our existing plans are consistent with significant decarbonisation of the power sector.
“We are absolutely committed to meeting our statutory carbon budgets. That is why we are pushing through ambitious reforms to overhaul existing old fossil fuel power plants, replacing them with new low-carbon forms of power generation.
“A fifth of our power stations are closing over the next decade and we need to build a diverse mix of all the technologies to keep the lights on and lower our emissions.
?”We have always said this will include gas fired plant, which is quick to build and flexible. After 2030 we expect that gas will increasingly be used only as back up, or fitted with Carbon Capture and Storage technology. But, alongside up-scaling of renewables, nuclear new build, and eventually with carbon capture and storage, gas has an important role to play in the transition to a low carbon grid.?
“Our gas generation strategy work is about providing certainty to investors to ensure sufficient investment comes forward, whilst also living within our legally binding carbon budgets.”