Explanatory note

This Order imposes on public electricity suppliers in England and Wales obligations to make arrangements to secure the availability during specified periods of specified aggregate amounts of generating capacity from non-fossil fuel generating stations of particular descriptions. The arrangements must be made, and evidence of their making must be produced to the Director General of Electricity Supply, before 1st November 1998.

Article 3, read with the Tables in Schedule 1, imposes on the suppliers obligations to secure the availability during specified periods, of specified amounts of capacity from non-fossil fuel generating stations of the descriptions (hydro, landfill gas, municipal and industrial waste, municipal and industrial waste with combined heat and power, on-shore wind exceeding 0.995 megawatts of capacity and wind of or not exceeding that amount) specified in Schedule 1 and falling within the description of such stations specified in article 3(2). The amounts are specified in megawatts (one megawatt equals one million watts).

Article 4 provides a mechanism whereby, if certain conditions are not satisfied (see Schedule 2) or if certain events occur (see Schedule 3), the Order is to have effect as if the relevant period specified in the appropriate Table in Schedule 1 were replaced by a different period and as if the relevant amount of capacity specified in that Table were a reduced amount, the amount of the reduction being the amount of capacity which has ceased to be available by reason of (as the case may be) the condition not having been satisfied or the event having occurred.

A compliance cost assessment has been prepared, a copy of which has been placed in the library of each House of Parliament. Copies of the assessment may be obtained free of charge by postal application to the Department of Trade and Industry, Energy Technologies Directorate, Room 1.A.48, 1 Victoria Street, London, SW1H 0ET.