AQW 16923/17-22

Mr Stewart Dickson
Alliance Party
East Antrim

Tabled Date: 26/03/2021
Answered On Date: 19/04/2021
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister for the Economy (i) for her assessment of the comment that Northern Ireland has an extremely complex structure of energy governance as stated in a recent University of Exeter Report on Energy governance for the Northern Ireland energy transition; and (ii) whether the upcoming Energy Strategy will address this issue.

Answer:

The complexity of energy means that there is no single best approach to energy governance, and the division of roles and responsibilities across the UK and the Republic of Ireland vary widely. There is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ answer.

Regardless of the structures in place, a joined-up approach across government will always be required. The governance structures established for the Energy Strategy have already led to the collaborative approach needed across central and local government.

These structures include a Government Stakeholders Group that brings together all government departments with a role in energy policy. Central and local government have also worked together across the five working groups (consumers, energy efficiency, heat, power and transport) to inform the energy policy options included in the recent Energy Strategy Options Consultation.

The leadership that my Department is showing across the Executive on energy policy matters is demonstrated through the Options Consultation published at the end of March which covers the full breadth of energy policy issues across government.