Mark Pawsey
Main Page: Mark Pawsey (Conservative - Rugby)(12 years, 10 months ago)
Commons ChamberRead Full debate Read Hansard Text
Gregory Barker
The feed-in tariffs were devised by the right hon. Member for Doncaster North (Edward Miliband), and unfortunately did not anticipate a single scheme of the type to which the hon. Member for York Central (Hugh Bayley) refers. Under our reformed and restructured feed-in tariff schemes, in the future we very much hope that those schemes will be able to be supported, unlike the shambles of the scheme that we inherited from Labour.
Mark Pawsey (Rugby) (Con)
19. What discussions he has had with National Grid on the shutting down of wind farms during times of high wind intensity.
The Minister of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change (Charles Hendry)
Ministers and DECC officials have regular discussions with National Grid about the operation of the electricity network, and this has included the issue of transmission constraints, including our consultation on the transmission constraint licence condition. Reducing or increasing output of generators of all types is a normal part of National Grid’s role in balancing the network at all times. Wind is not treated any differently from any other technology in this respect.
Mark Pawsey
My constituents in Rugby, who face applications for wind farms, will be concerned about reports that turbines are switched off in times of high wind speeds because the current infrastructure is unable to handle the amount of electricity generated. When that happens, National Grid pays operators compensation—
Mr Speaker
Order. Can we have a quick question? We have to move on, so we need a brief sentence with a question mark at the end of it.
Mark Pawsey
What steps has the Minister taken to protect consumers from that element of the increase in their electricity bills?
Charles Hendry
About £250 million was paid last year in constraint payments, of which only 10%— £24 million—was paid to the wind sector. The Government are reviewing the transmission constraint licence condition and trying to ensure upgrades are made in many parts of the country, so that the power generated can get where it is needed.