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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to keep in reserve retired gas and coal power stations as a supplementary provision if there are periods of no wind power.

The National Grid Electricity System Operator (NGESO) has the tools it needs to operate the electricity system reliably, including during periods of low wind.

The Capacity Market is the government’s main mechanism for ensuring security of electricity supply. Through competitive, technology-neutral auctions, it provides all forms of capacity with the right incentives to be on the system and to deliver capacity when needed by increasing generation or by turning down their electricity demand. The volume of capacity procured at these auctions is set based on advice from NGESO, who model a wide range of scenarios – including weather conditions, variability in renewable output, and levels of electricity demand – when producing their advice. The capacity auctions held to date have secured the majority of GB’s capacity needs to meet the forecast peak demand out to 2024/25 at a low cost.