2012: Another eventful year for energy policy

2012 has been another eventful year in energy, culminating in the Energy Bill and associated work around energy efficiency and demand reduction. The way forward still needs considerable clarification, particularly around the provision of new electricity generating capacity for the short term. 2013 needs to be a year of action, with Government providing the confidence needed for investors to get projects built, across gas, nuclear and the major renewables. Similarly real practical progress is needed to ensure we have smart metering system, capable of supporting a future smart grid, rolled out by 2019.

The IETcontinues to bring engineering know-how to the policy debate. Our Transmission Costs Report provided unbiased and evidence based analysis to support effective decisions about whether to underground new transmission connections, and we've contributed to policy in subjects as diverse as the costs of wind power, low carbon heating, innovation in electricity distribution, smart metering specifications, offshore transmission, the role of gas in power generation, and of course the technical implications and underpinnings of electricity market reform.

We remain committed, ready and available to continue to support and contribute across the whole energy policy space.