Have your say on the Energy Bill

UKParliament

Have your say on the Energy Bill and get involved with the work of Parliament.

You can submit your views to the House of Commons Public Bill Committee which is going to consider this Bill.

Aims of the Bill

The Energy Bill 2015-16 introduces provisions related to the regulation of the UK’s offshore oil and gas industry and also provisions related to planning requirements for onshore wind farms, and the ending of public subsidies for new onshore wind farms under the Renewables Obligation.

Purpose of the Energy Bill

• Establishing the Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) as an independent regulator, taking the form of a government company. This will be achieved by transferring the existing regulatory powers on oil and gas held by the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (the Secretary of State) to the OGA. The OGA would also be granted additional powers, which include—but are not limited to—access to company meetings and dispute resolutions.
• Removing the requirement for the Secretary of State to give planning consent for onshore windfarms larger than 50 megawatts. When combined with secondary legislation to be made by the Government to amend the Planning Act 2008, this consenting requirement would be effectively transferred into the planning regime under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.
• Providing for the cessation of public subsidies for new onshore windfarms under the Renewables Obligation (RO).

The Bill would also validate prior charges made by the Offshore Oil and Gas Environment and Decommissioning Unit (OGED).

How to submit evidence

Your submission should focus on issues where you have a special interest or expertise, or factual information which you would like the Committee to consider during their scrutiny.

It is helpful if the submission includes a brief introduction about you or your organisation. The submission should not have been previously published or circulated elsewhere.

If you have any concerns about your submission, please contact the Scrutiny Unit.

Submit your evidence to the Committee by Tuesday 9 February 2016.

Further information

The House of Commons Library produces research briefings which provide in-depth and impartial analysis of all major pieces of legislation, as well as many areas of policy, or cover frequently asked questions and topical issues.

• House of Commons Library research briefing: The Energy Bill 2015-16: Background and changes in the Lords