§ Mr. Hardyasked the Secretary of State for Energy what is the present generating capacity available to the Central Electricity Generating Board; what proportion of this is in use at the present time; and what is his estimate of the capacity which will exist and the proportion of that capacity which will be in use in three years' time.
§ Mr. Norman LamontThe CEGB's total declared net capability was 56.8 gigawatts in mid-January 1980 when 49 gigawatts of plant was actually usable and peak winter system demand reached 442 gigawatts or 78 per cent. of capability.
The board's declared capability in three year's time will depend on the level of commissioning and closures, but I am advised by the CEGB that it expects it to reach some 59–60 gigawatts. The extent to which this plant will be usable will depend on the circumstances at the time. The electricity supply industry's present estimate of unrestricted maximum demand for 1982–3 is 46.2 gigawatts.