Debate contribution: Energy Market

Debate contribution by Dr Steve Aiken OBE on 11 June 2024.

MLA

Dr Steve Aiken OBE

Party at the time

Ulster Unionist Party

Date

11 June 2024

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Private Members' Business

Heading

Energy Market

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4496052

Read the official Assembly record

Text

The Ulster Unionist Party will support the motion and the amendment. The climate emergency is an accelerating problem, and it is not just to do with the environment, as we have seen recently with high temperatures and high seawater temperatures and the impact that both are having on our climate as we speak. It is also about what is happening internationally: what is going on in Russia and its attacks on the Ukraine; and what is happening in the Middle East as a result of destabilisation and attacks by Iran. It is about the implications that those situations are likely to have on the supply of energy, not just across the world but in Northern Ireland. As has been said on several occasions, Northern Ireland is particularly susceptible to problems with fuel oil and its uses, particularly for heating. One of the major things that we need to look at as we move towards a just transition and rapidly towards net zero carbon — something that we have to do — is to make sure that we deal with the potential problems of fuel poverty. Some think about how they will manage themselves out of this problem. They talk about solutions that include heat pumps, photovoltaic (PV) panels and extra insulation. Some will find those easier to do than others, but a lot of the housing stock across Northern Ireland needs to be retrofitted, There needs to be support in order to do that, because, if there is not, we will never achieve it. The return on such investment may, in some cases, take 10, 20 or 30 years to materialise, and we need to make sure that our most vulnerable are not left out. We have to be aware of other significant issues, such as what is going on in the energy market in Northern Ireland. We have talked about the Utility Regulator, which has a vital role to play. As I have mentioned on numerous occasions, one of the biggest problems that we have is a near-monopoly that has been supported by EirGrid and the Electricity Supply Board (ESB), aka the System Operator for Northern Ireland (SONI) and Northern Ireland Electricity (NIE). A lot of the things that they have been doing in the market have been, to be frank, uncompetitive, forcing many in the renewable energy sector to move out of Northern Ireland and not invest here. It is not just a planning issue but about grid connection and how that is managed. On many occasions, we have heard stories about onshore wind. One of the big issues with offshore wind providers — this is the reason that we do not have offshore wind in Northern Ireland — is that the likes of SONI and NIE would not let them connect to the grid when that was first proposed nearly a decade ago. Here we are, a decade on, in a situation in which we are not able to benefit from offshore wind. There has to be substantial change, and the Utility Regulator has an important job to do. As has been said, however, it is not just an all-island issue but an all-islands one.

Ofgem has an important role. It has managed to transform the GB market. Scotland and Wales come under Ofgem. There are many things that the industry is doing there right now that we should be doing here and, indeed, across all these islands. Our Utility Regulator and our regulations need to ensure that we are adaptive to what is happening in GB. It is vital, through interconnection, that we have that link to Ofgem. The links that we have with the rest of this island are also vital, but it is not going to work unless we build a North/South interconnector. That needs to be moved on at pace.

Minister, I have mentioned before that we need to consider reviewing the integrated single electricity market (ISEM). Is it fit for purpose? Will it be able to deliver for the people in Northern Ireland and get us to where we need to be when it comes to our goal of net zero carbon? The climate emergency is getting worse. We have gone beyond the time of sitting and talking about it. We need to engage and get moving now. We have had the warnings: it is warming up. We are not in a position to hold back any further. The changes that we need to make need to be made now. We cannot sit around and wait any longer. As I said, we will support the motion and the amendment.

767 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not qualifying

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 10:44 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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