Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the combined potential impact of multiple gas-fired plant retirements on (a) grid stability and (b) inertia levels.

Great Britain has a highly stable and resilient energy system with diverse supplies.

The National Energy System Operator (NESO) continuously monitors the electricity system and ensures sufficient inertia and negative and positive reserves to manage large generation or demand losses, including through retirements of gas plant. In the transition to clean power, we are deploying the technologies needed to ensure the energy system remains resilient. In Great Britain, for example, NESO procure alternative technologies such as synchronous condensers and flywheels and use sub-second response services to manage frequency changes and maintain system stability.