Oral evidence 3pm
Wednesday 14 January: Building support for the energy
transition
This week at the Energy Security and Net Zero Committee Ofgem,
Ofcom and the Government's Mission Control for Clean Power 2030
will give evidence on what they're doing to build support for the UK's
energy transition
Ofcom says that the scientific principles behind man-made climate
change are broadly settled yet no complaints about climate
misinformation have been upheld of the over a thousand received
since 2020.
The session will scrutinise the roles of Ofgem, Ofcom, and
DESNZ's Mission For Clean Power 2030 Unit: what they know about
public understanding of the transition, and what evidence they
can provide that their actions are making a difference.
Witnesses will be challenged on whether regulators are acting as
credible communicators - safeguarding accuracy, impartiality, and
public trust in energy-related information across media and
official channels.
With political consensus around net zero fractured, the session
will also explore how Ofcom applies its “due impartiality” duty
in an increasingly polarised debate.
Ofgem's statutory role is to protect consumers while enabling net
zero at least cost. How does it balance long-term investment
against short-term price pressures - and how effectively does it
explain those trade-offs to the public?
With most people's only interaction with the energy system being
their bill, how clearly are the true costs of energy, and of the
transition, set out? The Government has said that “consumer trust
and satisfaction in the energy market is systemically lower than
where it needs to be”. What is Ofgem doing to rectify this?
Finally, the Committee will test whether the Government's Clean
Power 2030 mission has the clarity, credibility, and flexibility
needed to sustain public support through a changing economic and
political landscape.
On Wednesday 14
January at 3pm
- Priya Brahmbhatt-Patel, Executive Director of
Communications and Engagement at Ofgem
- Neil Kenward, Director for Strategy, Economics, Research
and Net Zero (SERN) at Ofgem
- Laura Rhea, Director, Standards and Audience Protection
at Ofcom
- Ian Macrae, Director of Market Intelligence at
Ofcom
At 4:00pm:
- Chris Stark CBE, Head of the UK's Mission for
Clean Power 2030 at Department for Energy Security and Net
Zero
- Ben Golding, Director, Clean Power Unit at Department
for Energy Security and Net Zero
