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8 | 17TH - 23RD JUNE 2016 | UTILITY WEEK Policy & Regulation Referendum special report IN T he key responsibility of the Department of Energy and Climate Change (Decc) is to make sure our families and busi- nesses have the certainty of secure, afford- able and clean energy supplies. For this very reason, I want the UK to vote to stay in the EU on 23 June – because it helps deliver these objectives as well as helping us to tackle climate change more effectively. An independent report commissioned by National Grid (and published on 24 March), shows that leaving the EU and its internal energy market could see energy costs rocket by at least £500 million a year. And these costs could easily be a lot higher. Why would we want to leave if it's cheaper and easier to buy and sell energy across borders through the EU energy sin- gle market? It's the same market that helps boost competition and keeps prices down for British consumers. Moreover, if we stay in the EU, we're expected to more than double the amount of electricity we can import from the Continent over the next five years, saving consumers nearly £12 billion in energy costs over the next two decades. EU membership doesn't just benefit con- sumers. Being in the EU single energy mar- ket attracts billions of pounds of investment in UK energy by providing stability and full access to the world's largest single market of 500 million people. This is crucial given the UK's energy investment needs – £100 billion in electricity by 2020. The EU is our biggest source of foreign investment in energy – £45 billion from across Europe was invested in our utilities sector in 2014. A good exam- ple is Siemens of Germany, which employs 14,000 people in the UK and is currently investing over £300 million in a new turbine factory in Hull, which will create up to 1,000 jobs. Quitting the EU is not good news for investment or energy costs, and it could also affect the supply of energy in the future. By 2030 we are expected to import about three- quarters of our gas. That means we have to continue to work well with our closest neigh- bours. We have seen how countries such as Putin's Russia use their gas supplies as a tool of foreign policy, threatening to cut off sup- plies or drastically increase prices. By work- ing together, the European Union has the power to force Putin's hand. We can source gas from elsewhere. We can drive down the price of imports. Playing a leading role in the EU means we have more impact as we tackle the global challenges that affect us all, like climate change. Acting on climate change outside the EU would be nowhere near as effective as it is now. It is a major threat to UK secu- rity and prosperity, and that's why the UK passed its Climate Change Act – but we can- not solve the problem alone. By ensuring that the rest of the EU acts on climate change at a similar pace to the UK, we can help maintain a level playing field for UK business, and extend low-carbon market opportunities for UK businesses. The EU's carbon market drives emission cuts wher- ever they are cheapest across Europe, while EU-wide action helps stimulate green invest- ment, innovation and trade, creating jobs and financial security for families and busi- nesses in the UK. Those who want us to leave cannot tell you what a future outside Europe's internal energy market would look like. Neither will they tell you how much it will cost. Leaving the EU is bad for bills, bad for investment, bad for our security and bad for climate change mitigation. Acting as part of a 500 million-strong EU bloc strengthens our global influence, help- ing us secure investment and global climate deals, and enables us to issue strong sanc- tions if others use energy as a foreign policy tool. The investment that comes from the EU sees our industries grow and creates job opportunities and financial security for work- ing people and their families along with it. Remaining is right, quitting would be foolhardy and dangerous. First published on utilityweek.co.uk on 26 May Energy security is bolstered by the EU, argues Lord Bourne, parliamentary undersecretary of state, Decc. VOTING INTENTIONS, AS MEASURED BY MULTIPLE POLLS 60% 40% 20% Jan Feb Mar