The parliamentary undersecretary of state for the Department of Energy and Climate Change (Decc) told the House of Lords today that the supply margin would remain above the 4 per cent reliability margin this winter.
She added that National Grid has around 3GW of “additional tools” to boost supply when margins are very tight at times of peak winter demand.
Baroness Verma also stated: “We are very aware of what we have in reserve but have given powers to Ofgem and National Grid to ensure we have enough supply.”
She added that the mutual assistance arrangements with the Netherlands and France were being in the process of being “extended” to further increase the country’s energy security.
The shadow minister for energy and climate change, Baroness Worthington, slammed the “hysterics” that has followed the closure of Didcot B, adding that demand has fallen and renewable generation has increased – with wind supplying 25 per cent of national demand on Sunday.
She told peers: “There is no need for the hysterical headlines that were seeing around the closure of plant.”