Public Bill Committee Debate 11th Sitting: Energy Bill

Tuesday 12th February 2013 Ministerial Corrections

The following is an extract from the response given by the Minister of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change, the hon. Member for South Holland and The Deepings (Mr Hayes) to the hon. Member for Rutherglen and Hamilton West (Tom Greatrex) during the Public Bill Committee Debate 11th Sitting: Energy Bill on 31 January 2013.

[Mr Hayes]

The Secretary of State also has the power to impose a levy on electricity suppliers to recoup the cost of purchasing the renewable certificates by the purchasing body. The levy will replace the current obligation to submit ROCs and will be in line with their share of the market for electricity supplied. I emphasise that the RO will remain open to new entrants until March 2017, at which point the length of support offered under the RO will begin to reduce. From 2017 the RO will be closed to new entrants, but all projects that are already receiving support within the RO at that time will continue to do so, subject to the maximum period of 20 years of support. The RO will close in 2030, and as that date approaches, the obligation, which is currently set annually, will be set against an ever-decreasing pool of generators.

[Official Report, 31 January 2013, PBC100 Energy Bill, 11th sitting c. 424.]

Letter of correction from John Hayes:

An error has been identified in the response provided during the Public Bill Committee Debate.

The correct response should have been:

[Mr Hayes]

The Secretary of State also has the power to impose a levy on electricity suppliers to recoup the cost of purchasing the renewable certificates by the purchasing body. The levy will replace the current obligation to submit ROCs and will be in line with their share of the market for electricity supplied. I emphasise that the RO will remain open to new entrants until March 2017, at which point the length of support offered under the RO will begin to reduce. From 2017 the RO will be closed to new entrants, but all projects that are already receiving support within the RO at that time will continue to do so, subject to the maximum period of 20 years of support. The RO will close in 2037, and as that date approaches, the obligation, which is currently set annually, will be set against an ever-decreasing pool of generators.