Ms Marie Donnelly:

I can point to the fact that it is about three, if not four, years ago that the council was recommending the Government to bring in the possibilities for both private wires and hybrid connections. I suppose I cannot name names but in my own part of the country we have a very large manufacturing facility - it is not a data centre; it is actually a pharmaceutical company - that has set up its own solar farm across the road. However, the question is how you get the power from one side of the road to the other side of the road if you do not have access to private wires. That is just a micro-illustration of some of the initiatives industry itself is making. This possibility of private wires, properly managed, is key in that context, as indeed is this whole concept of hybrid connections where you could perhaps have wind and solar batteries in the same location rather than having separate locations for them. Innovative approaches to how we manage our electricity system in a safe and efficient way are key to delivering the efficiencies and the sustainable energy system we need into the future. I have not looked at the specifics of the Bill. I do not know whether my colleagues have done so and they may be able to comment. Certainly, the council has called for this on a number of occasions.