The committee has also asked the government to extend the proposed Emissions Performance Standard (EPS) to cover new gas-fired plant added to the system from 2020. Serious consideration should be given to funding at least one gas CCS demonstration project as part of the four coal CCS demonstration projects committed to in the coalition agreement.
According to the committee, the path to meet the UK’s 2050 target to reduce emissions by 80% requires that the power sector is largely decarbonised in the period to 2030.
Given the need to decarbonise the power sector in the period to 2030, an EPS that will effectively require any new gas plant beyond 2020 to be fitted with CCS should also be considered.
The committee acknowledges the need for investment in conventional gas-fired generation to maintain security of supply over the next ten years, and propose that the EPS should not apply to plant added to the system before 2020.
