DYNAMIC DEMAND

Early day motion 388, tabled 22 June 2005 by Colin Challen (Labour). Signed by 82 members.

That this House notes that around £80 million a year is spent by National Grid on `response', a control system for handling unpredictable fluctuations in electricity demand; further notes that this is achieved largely by running thermal power plant at variable rates and partly loaded, a practice that reduces the efficiency and leads to additional carbon-dioxide emissions of around two million tonnes a year; further notes that the increasing use of renewables such as wind, solar and wave power will lead to a greater variability of generation; welcomes therefore the formation of the Dynamic Demand campaign to promote the use of very cheap controllers in industrial or domestic refrigerators and other suitable appliances which enable them, whenever acceptable operationally, to switch off during shortages of capacity and on at times when there is surplus capacity on the Grid; and calls on the Government to ensure this technology is widely adopted in order to reduce carbon-dioxide emissions and to facilitate the integration of an increasing proportion of electricity generated from renewable sources.

Signatures by party: Labour 41, Liberal Democrat 29, Conservative 4, DUP 4, Plaid Cymru 2, Respect 1, Scottish National Party 1.