Oral Answers to Questions Debate
Full Debate: Read Full DebateDepartment: Department for Energy Security & Net Zero
Tom Hayes
Main Page: Tom Hayes (Labour - Bournemouth East)Department Debates - View all Tom Hayes's debates with the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero
(1 week, 1 day ago)
Commons ChamberRead Full debate Read Hansard Text Watch Debate Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Michael Shanks
The right hon. Gentleman is absolutely right. This is a crucial aspect of the local power plan. We need to support communities in developing the project, and then creating a market in which they can sell electricity locally. We are working with Ofgem and partners to ensure that can happen, and we will say more in due course.
Tom Hayes (Bournemouth East) (Lab)
Had the 8.3 GW of offshore wind secured at the start of this year through allocation round 7 been in place last year, we would have seen gas generation cut by a third, and wholesale prices down by 13%. It is clear that we have to double down on the clean energy revolution. We cannot be distracted by yet more fossil fuel work. Will the Secretary of State outline how we will push forward the clean energy transition, and offshore wind in particular?
Ed Miliband
My hon. Friend makes a really important point. If I might actually praise the previous Government, some of what they did on renewables has helped to reduce wholesale costs. The problem is that the Conservatives have now abandoned their position. My hon. Friend is absolutely right: the only answer to the crisis we face is to go further, faster, on getting off fossil fuels and on to clean power.