HC Deb 18 January 1999 vol 323 c362W
Mr. Stunell

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans his Department has to simplify procedures for grid access for small renewable generating companies. [65778]

Mr. Battle

My Department's new and renewable energy programme has supported a number of studies, involving both renewable generating companies and the electricity supply industry, with the aim of encouraging the development of commercial and regulatory frameworks for electricity supply that allow renewable generators to compete with more established generation methods on a fair and unbiased footing.

To give only one example of the work being undertaken, we are supporting a project entitled Technical Criteria for Electrical Integration of Photovoltaic (PV) Systems into Electricity Supply Networks (ETSU contract number S/P2/00215/00/00) which includes the holding of regular meetings with a consultative group of Regional Electricity Companies (RECs) and will involve the production of a guide to be entitled, "UK Technical Guidelines for Inverter Connected Single Phase PV Generators up to 5kVA".