Context
After Storm Éowyn hit the UK in January, hundreds of thousands of people were without power for several days, including many constituents in rural villages like Oakley and Blairhall who relied on electricity for critical medical equipment.
Question
In January, when Storm Éowyn hit the UK, hundreds of thousands of people across Scotland were without power for several days. That included thousands of my constituents, in rural villages such as Oakley and Blairhall, and a number were reliant on power for critical medical equipment. Engineers performed heroic work to restore power as quickly as possible, but that was delayed by outdated grid infrastructure. As the new winter storm season has already begun this year, what steps are the Minister and the Department taking to ensure the future reliance of the grid to withstand worsening storms? How can that be done to protect vulnerable people in my constituency and across the UK?
Answer from The Minister for Energy (Michael Shanks)
My hon. Friend asks an incredibly important question. First, I would like to thank all the engineers and customer service staff who worked through the recent Storm Amy to ensure that people were reconnected as quickly as possible, including in some incredibly difficult circumstances—they did a fantastic job. We are trying to ensure that the UK’s grid remains as resilient as possible. That requires investment, and those who oppose the building of new infrastructure to improve our grid’s resilience will need to explain to their constituents why they want them to be much more at risk of disconnections in those storms.
Not addressed: Specific steps and timeline for improving grid resilience were not provided, only a general commitment to investment.
Was this summary accurate? Tell us
How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)