Speeches by Shanks.

“It was just a west coast boy thing, then. We all went to Cruachan, the “hollow mountain”. We have not invested in those schemes since; this is the first example in 40 years. Long-duration energy storage is really important, as is a range of innovative technologies—not just pumped hydro storage, but compressed air and v…”

“I do not have particular forecasts of the impacts on bills, but all of that is about trying to diversify our system and store power, particularly the wind and the sun, for when we need it. Long-duration energy storage in particular was built a very long time ago—you and I will know Cruachan in Scotland, a pumped hydro …”

“I would need to look at the specific assessment; I did not see that.”

“If we plan them strategically, no. It is worth saying that data centres will also pay a significant amount for the electricity that is needed. It is not as if they are just a net cost; they will be paying for it. If we use them efficiently, there are ways that they help to reduce the overall system cost. There is also …”

“It was a really important recognition, from the Prime Minister down, that there are no actions the Government are not prepared to take to help to tackle the cost of living. It was a very clear, targeted action with a really specific amount of money that could be ringfenced, moved from one to another and have a direct t…”

“I think I said there wasn’t a principled objection to us using data to look at how we might target support more; you have taken me slightly further than what I said in my answer. We have said consistently that we understand the argument for a social tariff. Our No. 1 aim is obviously to bring down everybody’s bills, bu…”

“There is a live conversation about whether the powers are there. There is then a secondary conversation about how that power is used practically. Particularly, there is obviously a sensitivity around HMRC data, and the public would expect us to be looking very carefully at that. But we can use that data, not just for t…”

“Probably not, but it is worth saying that not all data centres are equal. Within that, there will be some really significant data centres, and some much smaller ones as well, so it is a question of scale. You will recall that we cleared out the generation queue that had built up with a significant amount of batteries, …”

“That is the point that I was making: people would have a different view on who would be eligible for that, and that is one of the challenges.”

“The challenge is that if I put that definition to a number of other organisations working in this space, I would get different responses.”

“I think that the last time I was at the Committee, you put a definition to me that would have solved another one of my policy dilemmas, so it is very helpful.”

“That is absolutely right, and it is why the strategic spatial energy plan and the centralised strategic network plan are really important. They are projecting into the future, beyond the current period, what the future energy system will look like, based on projections of future demand, which we know will increase sign…”

“I entirely understand the argument, and we are not against looking at all sorts of things like that. Particularly, we are genuinely not against the principle of rebalancing. We are looking at it, but it is a question of how it is delivered in the fairest way possible. Of course, some of the other actions that we are ta…”

“The warm home discount is not targeted specifically at gas customers, so again—”

“I come back to the point I made a moment ago on your general question, which is we cannot build the electricity system we need for the future without building the grids, so the investment in the grid is not optional. Frankly, even if there was a different Government taking a different path, you would still have to buil…”

“I am grateful for that summary from the Netherlands. We have looked at rebalancing. Clearly, I understand the argument. We want to see much more electrification, and therefore the cost of electricity has to decline. The trade-off that we have been wrestling with— and that we continue to wrestle with, because fundamenta…”

“Fundamentally, that is correct. Your question was particularly around a relationship with the EU. We are obviously in negotiations at the moment. Alignment with the EU, so that we can have electricity trading, is really important. We will soon become a net exporter of electricity, and that is a really important part of…”

“We are going to build the transmission projects that are critical for the country. If I were to go back 15 years and plan where some of the renewables projects were built, I would not place them where they are in many cases, and we would have therefore built less grid. We now have to connect the projects that are there…”

“That is the point I was making earlier. The main threat to businesses in the UK is the UK’s dependency on fossil fuels. Even if we were to remove carbon pricing, we would simply be paying money into the EU through the CBAM. I don’t understand why that is preferential to anybody—it has not been explained to me. I would …”

“I think, in this climate, that the lesson we should take is that fossil fuels have been the cause of why consumers are paying more across the country. Anyone who can say right now with a straight face that doubling down on gas is the answer to our future energy security and to the bills crisis people are facing needs t…”