Britain uses more energy than it produces and the gap is set to widen as older power stations are shut down and North Sea gas and oil production declines.

Environment Chair Murad Qureshi said: "We’ve become dependent on foreign imports to sustain our energy demands which places us in a precarious position.

"London is a major power consumer, so we want to know how the Mayor and energy producers plan to increase production to close the gap and reduce future price hikes."

The Assembly’s environment committee is hearing about progress of a wind farm in the Thames Estuary and from producers about other possible forms of renewable energy to power London.

It is questioning the London wind farm project director Richard Rigg, the Association of Electricity Producers renewable energy chief Alastair Tolley, the GLA’s Climate Change policy manager Peter Daw and London Recycling Board’s business development chief Wayne Hubbard in a public meeting this-morning at City Hall, near Tower Bridge.

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