Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the risks to the UK’s energy security in the event that a deal is not reached on the future relationship with the EU after the transition period; and what steps his Department is taking to mitigate risks arising from that matter to the UK’s energy supply.

The UK has one of the most reliable energy systems in the world. The UK’s exit from the EU does not alter the fact that our energy system is resilient and secure, and UK energy is supplied from diverse sources. Electricity and gas will continue to flow over interconnectors between the UK and the EU at the end of the transition period in any scenario. We have planned extensively for the end of the transition period, alongside industry, to ensure electricity demands are met. We are confident that electricity margins will remain adequate and that the electricity system is able to respond to any changes in demand securely and efficiently. The forecast electricity margin for this winter is healthy, at 4.8GW or 8.3% additional generation.

The UK gas market is one of the world’s most developed and provides security through supply diversity, most of which is not dependent on the EU. The forecast gas margin for this winter is healthy, at around 79 million cubic metres or 15% more supply than would be required to meet demand on the coldest day in 20 winters.