About the Inquiry
In its 2017 consultation on the draft Scottish Energy Strategy, the Scottish Government sought views on the potential role and remit of a POEC to help the growth of local and community projects. Later that year it made a commitment to establish a not-for-profit POEC to supply energy to consumers at as close to cost price as possible. In March 2018 a strategic outline case was published, setting out a series of operating models for providing competitively priced energy and helping to alleviate fuel poverty.
As part of the Economy, Jobs and Fair Work Committee’s
scrutiny of energy policy, a research paper/scoping note on
the topic was commissioned by the Scottish Parliament’s Information Centre (SPICe)
on behalf of the Committee. The paper, published alongside this call for views,
reviewed the evidence on establishing a POEC as well as looking more widely at
what the purpose and model of such a body could be. It suggested four
overarching objectives that a Scottish POEC could have—
- Creating new energy
infrastructure platforms
- Accelerating wider energy
system transformation
- Increasing engagement and
participation in the energy system
- Reducing costs to
consumers
The paper concludes that a Scottish POEC can deliver on a
number of these objectives.
Evidence
The Committee has issued a call for views. The call for written views closed on Thursday 13 September 2018.
Read the Call for Views
Read the written submissions
Correspondence
On 30 August 2018, the Minister for Energy, Connectivity and the Islands wrote to the Committee to inform it of the steps that the Scottish Government had taken.
The Committee wrote to the Minister for Energy, Connectivity and the Islands on 25 September 2019 to seek an update on any progress made. The Minister replied on 9 October 2019.
The Committee wrote to the Minister for Energy, Connectivity and the Islands on 28 January 2020 to seek an update on any progress made. The Minister replied on 13 February 2020.
Report
The Committee wrote to the Minister for Energy, Connectivity and the Islands on 14 December 2018.
The Minister wrote to the Committee on 19 March 2019.