The Government's Long-term Plans to Deliver Secure, Low Carbon and Affordable Electricity: Department of Energy and Climate Change

HC 189, Report by the Comptroller and Auditor General, Session 2012-13

Author:

National Audit Office (NAO)

Publisher:

TSO (The Stationery Office)

Price: £16.00

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'The Government's Long-term Plans to Deliver Secure, Low Carbon and Affordable Electricity (HC 189)' examines how the Department of Energy and Climate Change is seeking to address long-term challenges and uncertainties involved in supplying secure, low carbon and affordable electricity, through existing measures and reforms to the electricity market.

The existing generating capacity is 90 gigawatts (GWs). The Department has estimated that, to maintain secure electricity supplies and avoid the risk of power failures, around 30 GWs of new generating capacity will have to be built in Great Britain by 2020 not only to meet future increases in demand, but also to provide back-up capacity and replace the scheduled closure of 21% of existing capacity over the next decade.

Eight of Britain's nine nuclear power stations are scheduled for closure and 12 GWs of fossil fuel-fired power stations will also have to close by the end of 2015; by 2020 a total of 92 GWs of generating capacity will be required in Britain.

The Department must also meet the statutory target to reduce UK greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 by at least 80% from the levels recorded in 1990; electricity generation needs therefore to be largely "decarbonised" during the 2030s.

The Department estimates that £110 billion of investment is needed by 2020 to build the low carbon generation and network infrastructure, and expects that the proposed reforms to the electricity market will help to secure that investment.

However, there are many uncertainties, including the impact of energy efficiency measures on future demand for electricity. The cost of the huge investment needed to secure electricity supplies and reduce greenhouse gas emissions will ultimately be passed on to consumers and business. The new market mechanisms proposed in the draft Energy Bill are designed to help address the challenges.

Extent	44 pages	ISBN	9780102977165
Size	A4	Price	£16.00
Format	Paperback	Published	27 Jun 2012
Availability	Colour copy: 3 - 5 days	Delivery	Delivery options and charges