Electricity Generation

Baroness Worthington Excerpts

Thursday 8th January 2015 Lords Chamber

[Lord Elton (Con)]

My Lords—

[Baroness Worthington (Lab)]

My Lords, the Minister is correct to say that the lights are not in imminent danger of going out. Interconnectors are increasing and delivering, demand for electricity is going down and gas prices are softening, so there is no imminent danger. However, we now find ourselves in a strange situation where we are paying old polluting coal stations to stay open at the same time as paying to close them. When will the Government address that anomaly?

[Baroness Verma]

My Lords, the noble Baroness is absolutely aware that we need to ensure that we are also being cost-sensitive to the consumer. Consumers cannot be bearing the brunt of us closing plants down and putting the prices up.