Debate contribution: Renewable Electricity Generation Bill: Second Stage
Debate contribution by Ms Kate Nicholl on .
- MLA
- Ms Kate Nicholl
- Party at the time
- Alliance Party
- Date
- 8 September 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Executive Committee Business
- Heading
- Renewable Electricity Generation Bill: Second Stage
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5673882
Read the official Assembly record
Text
We are very lucky to have an energy nerd in the Alliance Party. I benefit greatly from my colleague David Honeyford's expertise in this, and it is good to know that he has company in other parties. Over the summer, I spent quite a bit of time trying to get up to the same stage as him. I met a number of renewable energy companies in my constituency and across Northern Ireland. The need for the Bill came up time and time again. Its purpose is relatively straightforward, but it is absolutely vital for our long-term energy security, giving us the ability to protect consumers from price volatility and laying the foundations of a more sustainable energy supply. It is about cleaner energy but also driving bills down. The Bill enables the Department to establish the much-needed and long-awaited renewable energy support scheme. There has not been one meeting at which that issue has not been raised, and having the support scheme in place is fundamental for our energy sector, because it will provide security for future investment and lead to the transformation of our energy mix. A number of Members have already spoken about investor confidence and how they have been waiting for the scheme and also about how the delay has had an impact when they go back to the investors. Therefore, it is really welcome that we are now on it. The contracts for difference model — the auction process proposed in the Bill — already works well in Great Britain and other parts of Europe. I know that we will get into the specific details of the clauses as Bill progresses, but the community benefit aspect laid out in clause 13 is a really important aspect of the Bill, and I am sure that it will command widespread support and discussion across the House. It has already been mentioned that it is really important that we get the Bill passed in this mandate. There really cannot be any more delays. I have noticed that, when we talk about energy, there is a lot of conversation about whether we will meet our 80% target by 2030, and I very much hope that we will. As Alliance MLAs, we will do everything that we can to move in that direction, including by supporting the Bill. Connected to the Bill and the schemes that will emerge from it, we need to make sure that we have the correct skills mix. My colleague touched on that. I am particularly interested in that area of the portfolio in order that we deliver the targets that we have set. Without the right people and the right skills, we will not be able to make the progress that we need to make. I will focus on that a lot. I just want to get that on the record at this stage. Investors and major players in the energy sector have a range of options for where they will invest, and we need to make sure that our policy and legislative framework provide confidence and certainty to make sure that we are winning investment for Northern Ireland, creating jobs, delivering cleaner energy and bringing down bills. Some really compelling stories are being told across Northern Ireland, and really exciting businesses have been set up. There is that innovation and ambition, but, so often, the piece that is missing is the ambition and delivery from our side. The Bill alone will not achieve all those things, but it will provide groundwork for the regulations and the future scheme that will help us to move in the right direction. It is technical, but it will have a real impact on people's lives. Energy is not always the most exciting topic, and it does not always get media attention, but it should, because it is one of the most important things. As my colleague said, it affects the economy, and the Bill is a positive development. I look forward to continuing the work on the Bill and scrutinising it in the coming stages, including when it comes to Committee.
682 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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