Kwarteng dismisses concerns about interconnector drive

The government has rejected an accusation that increased use of interconnectors would bind the UK into EU attempts to create a “comprehensive” European energy market post-Brexit, as MPs passed new rules to amend the Capacity Market.

Conservative backbench MP and veteran Eurosceptic John Redwood expressed concern during a Parliamentary debate about the government’s plans to more than double the share of generation sourced via interconnectors with the EU from four to nine per cent.

Redwood said: “As we are an island nation which used to be able to generate all its own power, I have some difficulties with that. We have many great advantages to generate wind power, wave power, solar power, hydro power and other renewable power, as well as prodigious reserves of other types of energy where the government wish to gradually reduce or clean their use.

“The proposal… is from another age when we were gradually being linked into a continental system, which, incidentally, is a lot dirtier than our own system and has been really struggling to reduce its dependence on coal and its very weak strategic position of chronic dependence on Russian gas.”

Redwood, who challenged ex-prime minister Sir John Major for the leadership of the Conservative party in the mid-1990s over the latter’s stance on the EU, said that increased dependence on Russian gas was “the last thing” the UK wanted.

He also said that it was “extremely worrying” that the UK has tweaked its Capacity Market rules in response to the recent EU ruling on its operation when it has already exited the trading bloc.

But energy minister Kwasi Kwarteng, who is also a strong supporter of Brexit, rejected Redwood’s concerns about increased interconnector capacity.

He said: “Going from four per cent interconnector capacity to nine per cent is not indicative of an encroaching EU superstate or anything of that nature. Any energy minister who wanted to hit those net-zero targets would be looking at interconnector infrastructure.”

The minister also said that the planned increase in interconnector capacity is “part of the mix” of energy that will be required to help decarbonise the UK electricity generation.

“The majority of our interconnector capacity comes from France, Ireland and Norway, which are actually doing very well in terms of clean power generation.”

He told the Commons that the new regulations would give capacity providers more time to appeal against notices to terminate their agreements to the Secretary of State as the disruptive effects of coronavirus may lead more to have to do so.

Kwarteng also hinted that the energy white paper will be published sooner than next year, as reported earlier this week, saying he hopes it will “come soon” and that there will be “many” debates on energy “ahead of legislation in the autumn.”

Alan Whitehead, shadow energy minister, had expressed concern in the debate about the possibility that a contract could be ended because of non-performance right up to the point at which it is expected to deliver.

The new regulations were passed without a vote.