Asked by: Melanie Onn (Labour - Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the Humber's Viking carbon capture project on levels of investment in the area.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
A strong UK CCUS sector will support well paid, highly-skilled jobs across the UK, with DESNZ analysis showing CCUS has the potential to generate £4-5 billion GVA per year and support up to 50,000 jobs in the 2030s across the CCUS industry as the sector matures. We recognise the potential of the Track-2 clusters, including Viking, to build on this momentum, and officials have continued to engage with Viking CCS to understand their plans and continue to review the potential impact of the project on local investments.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Warm homes and cheaper bills as government accelerates Plan for Change, published on 7 February 2025, how the figure of the average cost to landlords of complying with the proposals to upgrade their properties was calculated.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Estimates were provided in the consultation stage Options Assessment (DESNZ001(OA)-25-NZBI).
The average cost to landlords of complying with the proposals to upgrade their properties was calculated by dividing the total undiscounted capital expenditure required to meet the standards by the number of properties upgraded. Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred.
Asked by: Lizzi Collinge (Labour - Morecambe and Lunesdale)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether people living near (a) new and (b) certain upgraded network transmission infrastructure and who would otherwise be an eligible person under clause 22 of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill but their (i) landlord and (ii) park home site owner pays for their electricity and therefore they do not have a direct relationship to an electricity supplier will be eligible for any financial benefit scheme; and whether that financial benefit will be in the form of (A) electricity bill discounts and (B) compensation.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
We know that some eligible households do not have a direct relationship with an electricity supplier, so will not be able to receive a bill discount automatically. This includes households whose electricity is paid by their landlord or park home site owner. We want to ensure that these households benefit from hosting new electricity network transmission infrastructure and are putting measures in place to ensure that persons living in such properties can benefit. The exact delivery methods of financial benefit for these households are under consideration and will be subject to stakeholder consultation.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to align UK oil and gas production with climate targets.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The UK is committed to transitioning away from fossil fuels and meeting global climate targets.
The Government supports action on decarbonising oil and gas production and has already consulted on revised environmental guidance to take into account emissions from burning extracted oil and gas. We will respond to this consultation in due course and developers will be able to apply for consents under this revised regime.
The Government has also consulted on its commitment to not issue new oil and gas licences to explore new fields and will publish a response setting out our next steps in due course.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton West)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to support the North Sea oil and gas sector.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government has consulted on ‘Building the North Sea’s Energy Future’, setting out its overarching objective to make the North Sea a world leading example of an offshore clean energy industry and on its commitment to not issue new oil and gas licences to explore new fields. A response setting out its next steps will be published in due course.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton West)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Clean Heat Market Mechanism on the costs of installing new gas boilers.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Clean Heat Market Mechanism does not require any change in the price of fossil fuel boilers.
The Government took steps before introducing the scheme to revise the 2023 proposals in order to reduce impacts on boiler manufacturers and provide them more time to scale up supply chains.
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has made an assessment of (a) the comparative efficiency and (b) cost-effectiveness of (i) improving the thermal efficiency of existing Combined Cycle Gas Turbine power stations and (ii) investing in small modular nuclear reactors.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
No direct assessment has been made of the impact of more efficient CCGTs on wholesale electricity prices, nor of the efficiency of CCGTs versus small modular reactors.
An efficient electricity system needs a range of technologies to ensure that we reach our carbon goals while ensuring cost-effective energy security. Increasing participation of renewables in the wholesale market means that, over time, those technologies will determine the price more often and gas will play a much more limited role in setting the market price.
Improving efficiency of CCGTs is a commercial decision for plant operators.
Great British Nuclear (GBN) is driving forward its small modular reactor (SMR) competition for UK deployment. As with any technology, the economic case for SMRs would be factored into any investment decision.
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of improving the efficiency of existing Combined Cycle Gas Turbine power stations on wholesale electricity prices.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
No direct assessment has been made of the impact of more efficient CCGTs on wholesale electricity prices, nor of the efficiency of CCGTs versus small modular reactors.
An efficient electricity system needs a range of technologies to ensure that we reach our carbon goals while ensuring cost-effective energy security. Increasing participation of renewables in the wholesale market means that, over time, those technologies will determine the price more often and gas will play a much more limited role in setting the market price.
Improving efficiency of CCGTs is a commercial decision for plant operators.
Great British Nuclear (GBN) is driving forward its small modular reactor (SMR) competition for UK deployment. As with any technology, the economic case for SMRs would be factored into any investment decision.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton West)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of reaching 24GW of nuclear capacity by 2050.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Clean Power 2030 Action Plan makes clear that nuclear will play an important role in our future energy system, providing low-carbon, baseload power to the grid. Government will continue to seek to streamline regulatory processes, and foster innovation in nuclear technology, to ensure that nuclear continues to play an important role in the net zero transition after 2030.
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many meetings his Department has had with (a) representatives of commercial nuclear manufacturers, (b) power utilities interested in building a new nuclear plant and (c) non-governmental organisations concerned with nuclear power in the last six months; and if he will publish the minutes of each meeting.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Details of Ministers' and Permanent Secretaries' meetings with external individuals and organisations are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK.