Energy and Climate
Change Secretary Ed Miliband said:
"The Government is confident that Britain will meet its
security of supply needs in the years ahead. Our Low Carbon
Transition Plan has put in place a programme of action to deliver
secure and increasingly low carbon energy supplies in the medium
term through to 2020.
"However, for the longer term, Britain will need a more
interventionist energy policy. The scale and upfront nature of the
low carbon investment needed is likely to require significant
reform of our market arrangements to deliver security of supply in
the most affordable way.
"That is why my Department began work last summer to
plot out the pathways to a decarbonised, secure energy mix in 2050
and the options for reforming the market to deliver it. Ofgem’s
report will contribute to the proposals we will make at the time
of the Budget.”
Notes for Editors
1. 2050 Roadmap
The Department of Energy and Climate Change is undertaking a 2050
Roadmap project to map out the routes to decarbonising and
securing our energy supplies by 2050. Chapter 8 of the Low Carbon
Transition Plan (July 2009) set out the parameters for the work:
www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/publications/lc_trans_plan/lc_trans_plan.aspx
2. Energy Market Assessment
The Government’s Energy Market Assessment is examining the market
reforms that will be needed to deliver on our 2050 goals. The Pre
Budget Report (December 2009) outlined the project:
"As well as strategies to help develop and deploy
particular low carbon technologies, Government is committed to
ensuring the energy market and policy framework supports private
sector investment. Building on the Low Carbon Transition Plan to
2020, Government committed to publish decarbonisation pathways to
2050, consistent with secure, low carbon energy. This will require
significant private sector investment in low carbon energy
infrastructure. With this large investment challenge, the
Government – working with Ofgem – needs to ensure that consumers
get a fair deal.
"As part of this work, the Department of Energy and
Climate Change and HM Treasury will take forward work to report on
how to ensure the electricity market framework can most
effectively deliver a fair deal for the consumer and the low
carbon investment we need in the long term. The work will take
account of the available analysis and evidence, such as Ofgem’s
Project Discovery work and the advice of the Committee on Climate
Change. This work will report back with initial findings at Budget 2010.”
Department of Energy and Climate Change
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Contacts:
Department of Energy and Climate Change
Phone: 0300 068 5219
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