<p>[holding answer 15 May 2013]: The Government is committed to driving and supporting an ambitious level of investment by independent generators, including community energy and co-operatives. Independent developers have played an important role in delivering new capacity, and we expect them to continue to make a material contribution to delivering investment and meeting our objectives of keeping energy prices affordable and supplies secure as we decarbonise. Accordingly, the Government is working to ensure that the electricity market reform proposals support independent generation.</p><p>The contracts for difference proposed in the Energy Bill will remove wholesale price risk and consequently improve conditions in the market for long-term power purchase agreements needed by many independent low carbon developers to secure project finance.</p><p>Further, we are taking powers in the Energy Bill to give Government the flexibility to support the availability of viable power purchase agreements for independent generators, should the market not develop as expected.</p>