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20 Apr 2009 : Column 314W—continued
Pre-Energy Meeting Dinner at Lancaster House—18 December 2008
London Energy Meeting—19 December 2008
Launch of the Consultation of the Severn Tidal Power Project—26 January 2009
British Council Climate Change Launch—4 February 2009
Oil and Gas All Party Group Reception—9 February 2009
PILOT Dinner—9 February 2009
PILOT—10 February 2009
Heat and Energy Savings Launch—12 February 2009
Launch of the Church of England's Carbon Fast—25 February 2009
DFID Conference: Securing our Common Future—9 March 2009
Nuclear APPG Energy Speech—10 March 2009
Renewable Energy Investors Dinner—16 March 2009
Reception to mark the 50th Anniversary of the Antartic Treaty—23 March 2009
Climate Change Forum Dinner—9 October 2009
Lynn and Inner Dowsing Wind Farm visit—21 October 2008
British Wind Energy Association BWEA30 Conference—22 October 2008
Coal Forum Meeting—23 October 2008
Reception: The Future of UK Coal—3 November 2008
Parliamentary Reception—Police Dependants' Trust—5 November 2008
Energetix Genlec Micro-CHP launch event—10 November 2008
Ministerial media drinks reception—11 November 2008
Dinner: Worcester Bosch and Intelligent Energy Group—12 November 2008
Chatham House Speech—17 November 2008
The Climate Change Forum—17 November 2008
EEF Low Carbon Economy Event—19 November 2008
Combined Heat and Power Association Annual Conference—19 November 2008
Green Business Events—27 November 2008
Lunch: Coal Industry Society—1 December 2008
Severn Tidal Power Regional Forum—2 December 2008
Christmas Luncheon: Police Dependants' Trust—3 December 2008
3M Parliamentary Dinner—3 December 2008
Nuclear Industry Association Energy Choices conference—4 December 2008
Industry Forum meeting (and lunch): Responsible Corporates and Energy Use—4 December 2008
Keynote Speech: Aldersgate Group—4 December 2008
Offshore visit to Buzzard Oil Rig—9 December 2008
Speech: Micropower Council Christmas Reception—10 December 2008
Reception: The NHS Confederation Christmas Reception—10 December 2008
Associate Parliamentary Renewable and Sustainable Energy Group (PRASEG) Christmas Reception—11 December 2008
Launch of the Consultation of the Severn Tidal Power Project—26 January 2009
Parliamentary Forum Severn Tidal Power—26 January 2009
Nuclear Development Forum—27 January 2009
Visit to Sizewell—29 January 2009
Chatham House Speech—5 February 2009
Nuclear Lunch: Duke of York—5 February 2009
Chatham House Speech—Middle East—9 February 2009
Oil and Gas All Party Group Reception—9 February 2009
Visit Torness Power Station—10 February 2009
Unite parliamentary group—11 February 2009
Coal UK Annual Conference—26 February 2009
Nuclear Industry Association Supply Chain Speech—3 March
Options for a New Britain—12 March 2009
Areva Supply Chain Event—16 March 2009
Renewable Energy Investors Dinner—16 March 2009
Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) International Seminar—18/19 March 2009
Parliamentary Forum Severn Tidal—23 March 2009
Nuclear Industry Association Dinner—23 March 2009
Renewable Energy Association speech—26 March 2009
Ports Investment Seminar—30 March 2009
UK Coal Forum—31 March 2009
Oil and Gas Trade Association Meeting—1 April 2009
Regional Visit for Severn Tidal—2 April 2009
Low Carbon Cars International Experts Meeting—27 October 2008
Climate Change Forum Dinner—17 November 2008
Micropower Generation Council Reception—10 December 2008
New Local Government Network Energy, Climate Change and Innovation Event—13 January 2009
Energy Research Partnership—14 January 2009
Launch of Heat and Energy Saving Strategy—12 February 2009
Low Carbon Industrial Strategy Summit—6 March 2009
Sainsbury dinner on Climate Change and the Environment—17 March 2009
Heat and Energy Saving Consultation Stakeholder Workshop—19 March 2009
Lacors Climate Change conference—21 October 2008
Visit to Citizens Advice Bureau—23 October 2008
Climate Wise stakeholder event—24 November 2008
Act on C02 event—27 November 2008
National Energy Efficiency Awards—2 December 2008
Climate Change speaking engagement at Japanese Embassy—15 December 2008
Brokering a Global Deal on Climate Change speaking engagement—26 January 2009
National Right to Fuel Campaign stakeholder forum—4 February 2009
Heat and Energy Saving Launch—12 February 2009
Big Energy Shift event—14 February 2009
Sustainable Development Commission public sector event—23 February 2009
UK Green Building Council speaking event—5 March 2009
Middlesbrough Climate Change conference—11 March 2009
OECD event in Paris—12 March 2009
The Municipal Journal's National Conference on Carbon Reduction Commitment—24 March 2009
CERT workshop—25 March 2009
Npower's Green SOS finale—25 March 2009
Westminster Sustainable Business Forum—26 March 2009
Energy Saving Trust stakeholder event—31 March 2009
National Grid
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many reported breakdowns there were in the national grid network in each year for which figures are available. [263103]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The following table shows the number of unplanned outages of the GB electricity transmission system which led to customer disconnection between 1991-92 and 2007-08. The table also shows the amount of power in megawatt hours (MWh) lost in each of those years. The data are taken from National Grid's annual transmission performance reports.
| Total MWh lost | Total number of events | |
National Grid: Weather
Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will bring forward proposals to protect the national grid from extreme solar weather events. [267658]
Mr. Mike O'Brien
[holding answer 30 March 2009]: National Grid (NGET) is aware of the phenomena of extreme solar weather events and began preparations for the next peak in 2011-12 some years ago. NGET has procedures in place to improve the resilience of the
network which include putting their field force on standby and ensuring that enough reactive power is available (a technical service provided by generators which helps manage voltage fluctuations—a possible consequence of both a conventional and severe solar storm).
The electricity networks are designed to provide a level of resilience that would cope with incidents that are potentially more severe than those that may be caused by a solar flare. Similarly, Government emergency planning arrangements are in place and tested to be able to cope with a complete shutdown of the electricity network. There is therefore no requirement for additional resilience or emergency response measures to deal with any potential disruption due specifically to a solar flare.
Natural Gas
Mr. Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the effect of levels of Crown Estate rents on trends in investment in offshore gas storage infrastructure projects. [266864]
Mr. Mike O'Brien [holding answer 26 March 2009]: None. The cost of the lease will be a matter for negotiation between the Crown Estate, acting in accordance with its statutory framework, and the developer.
Natural Gas: Storage
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the levels of employment that would result from the liquefied natural gas facility on Anglesey and the gas storage facility at Preesall coming on-stream. [268594]
Mr. Mike O'Brien [holding answer 2 April 2009]: I have not made any such assessment. However, the facilities on Anglesey and at Preesall would make a valuable contribution to the security of the UK's gas supplies if they were to come forward.
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the changes in the ability to import and store gas that would result from the liquefied natural gas facility on Anglesey combined with the proposed gas storage facility at Preesall, Lancashire coming on stream. [268595]
Mr. Mike O'Brien [holding answer 2 April 2009]: The Preesall gas storage facility would potentially provide approximately one billion cubic meters of gas storage capacity, making a valuable contribution to UK gas supplies. The proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility on Anglesey would provide a welcome increase in the amount and diversity of the UK's gas import capacity.
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the effects of the current level of availability of finance on the delivery of new gas storage projects. [268596]
Mr. Mike O'Brien
[holding answer 2 April 2009]: The current financial climate makes raising funding for gas storage developments, like other projects, more difficult
for some smaller developers but this is less of an issue for the larger ones. We are working closely with the industry to ensure that they make the most of alternative funding sources including the European Investment Bank.
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