The previous Government’s failure to invest in grid infrastructure has led to delays for businesses to connect to electricity.
I asked the Minister what action this Government is taking to build grid infrastructure to support businesses, deliver economic growth and achieve clean power by 2030.
Transcript
Mr Speaker: Chair of the Environmental Audit (Committee), Toby Perkins.
Toby Perkins: Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. There are many corporate customers who are keen to decarbonise but find the grid connection forecasts of five or more years stand in their way. So, can the Minister tell us what he is doing to speed up business connections to the grid and also what he is doing to make sure we prioritise those business customers who are going to make the biggest difference in decarbonising?
Minister: My hon. friend raises a hugely important point, and the future of the grid is going to be absolutely critical to, not only how we get clean power to homes and businesses across the country to bring down bills, but actually how we deliver the economic growth the country needs as well. That’s why we’ve taken two key actions. First of all, to build the grid that we need for the future, opposed by some of those opposite us. That future grid is critical for us to build but secondly, also clearing out the connections queue, so that there is space in the connections queue for more projects like the ones that he mentions to join. Both of these actions ae absolutely critical and those who oppose the building of new grid infrastructure oppose the exact economic opportunities my hon. friend just mentioned.