Asked by: Lord Moynihan (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made towards finalising a cap-and-floor revenue arrangement to support a £2 billion investment by Centrica in the site to extend Rough’s production consent beyond April 2027.
Answered by Baroness Curran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government values the role of gas storage sites like Rough in supporting our security of supply and recognises the challenging commercial environment facing storage operators.
In the interim response to the Gas System in Transition: Security of Supply consultation, published in August, Government committed to exploring whether a revenue support model for gas infrastructure, including storage, is necessary. We will set out our full minded-to positions and next steps in due course. Any decision will need to balance maintaining a secure and resilient energy system and securing value for money for consumers and taxpayers.
Asked by: Lord Moynihan (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the findings of the National Energy System Operator’s report, Whistleblowing investigation: final report, published on 19 October.
Answered by Baroness Curran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The whistleblowing investigation was launched to consider specific allegations of record keeping and control room influence. It was led by an external law firm and was independent of senior management.
The report shows none of the allegations can be substantiated by the evidence. However, the independent review raised areas for cultural improvement in NESO where we expect significant action without delay. The Government will keep progress under close review and reserves the right to intervene further.
Great Britain has a highly resilient electricity system and the likelihood of large-scale power outages remains low. The separate Ofgem update on the technical review (based on NESO’s preliminary report) confirms customer demand was met and electricity system frequency maintained in statutory limits throughout the summer. However, it is right that we learn lessons from the summer heatwave to ensure NESO continue to have the right tools available to manage the system under a wide range of scenarios. We will support Ofgem and NESO in delivering the full review as soon as possible.
Asked by: Lord Moynihan (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they consider the National Energy System Operator’s report, Whistleblowing investigation: final report, published on 19 October, as sufficiently comprehensive to ensure no local or nationwide blackouts will occur over the next three years.
Answered by Baroness Curran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The whistleblowing investigation was launched to consider specific allegations of record keeping and control room influence. It was led by an external law firm and was independent of senior management.
The report shows none of the allegations can be substantiated by the evidence. However, the independent review raised areas for cultural improvement in NESO where we expect significant action without delay. The Government will keep progress under close review and reserves the right to intervene further.
Great Britain has a highly resilient electricity system and the likelihood of large-scale power outages remains low. The separate Ofgem update on the technical review (based on NESO’s preliminary report) confirms customer demand was met and electricity system frequency maintained in statutory limits throughout the summer. However, it is right that we learn lessons from the summer heatwave to ensure NESO continue to have the right tools available to manage the system under a wide range of scenarios. We will support Ofgem and NESO in delivering the full review as soon as possible.
Asked by: Lord Moynihan (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have for Shell Haven to feed directly into the United Kingdom oil pipeline to provide Indian fuel exporters a direct route into the United Kingdom oil pipeline.
Answered by Baroness Curran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Operational and commercial decisions on the arrangements for the import and transportation of fuel, including the use of pipeline infrastructure, are matters for the companies concerned. However, Shell Haven is connected to the UK Oil Pipeline (UKOP), which can be used for the import of compliant fuels.
The Government is confident in the resilience of the UK’s fuel supply, which benefits from diverse sources, suppliers and routes to market.
Asked by: Lord Moynihan (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what mechanisms they propose to support technology and delivery models to prove the demonstration phase of tidal range technologies in order to encourage the private sector to commit capital to major tidal range projects at scale.
Answered by Baroness Curran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government remains open to considering well-developed proposals for harnessing tidal range energy, including barrages and other models. Proposals must demonstrate strong value for money compared with other low-carbon technologies, system benefits and credible environmental mitigation.
Asked by: Lord Moynihan (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government, in light of the work undertaken by the Severn Estuary Commission and other recent assessments of tidal range energy, whether they will develop a national tidal range strategy setting out a pathway for technology demonstration, environmental assessment, financing, grid integration, supply-chain development, and commercial deployment.
Answered by Baroness Curran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Whilst there are no current plans to develop a national tidal range strategy, the Government remains open to considering well-developed tidal range proposals, including barrages and other alternatives. Any proposal must demonstrate value for money, wider energy system and economic benefits, effective mitigation of environmental impacts, and suitable financing arrangements, while limiting risks to taxpayers and billpayers. Analysis by the National Energy System Operator of the system impacts and value of tidal range will help inform consideration of future proposals.
Asked by: Lord Moynihan (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to the recommendations of the Severn Estuary Commission's report, published in March 2025, on financial and commercial models for tidal range projects, including its recommendation that a tailored regulated asset base model should be developed; and what steps they intend to take in response to the report.
Answered by Baroness Curran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government remains open to considering well-developed proposals for harnessing tidal range energy, including barrage schemes and other alternatives. We are considering relevant evidence, including analysis by the National Energy System Operator. Any proposal, and its potential funding model, would need to demonstrate strong value for money compared with other low-carbon technologies, alongside energy-system benefits, an acceptable financial risk profile and credible environmental mitigation.
Asked by: Lord Moynihan (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential contribution of predictable tidal range generation to reducing electricity-system balancing requirements, renewable curtailment, storage requirements, and transmission constraints; and how those benefits will be reflected in future energy-system planning.
Answered by Baroness Curran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government recognises that predictable tidal generation could complement intermittent wind and solar, potentially reducing system balancing, curtailment and storage needs. Last year NESO published a report on the Strategic Case for Tidal Range which outlined the potential benefits and risks to the consumer, which the Government will consider carefully alongside any future developer proposals.
Asked by: Lord Moynihan (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what support is available to demonstrate new UK-developed tidal range turbine technologies at operational scale, in order to establish their performance, environmental impact, manufacturing requirements, and commercial viability before large-scale deployment.
Answered by Baroness Curran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government remains open to considering well-developed proposals for harnessing tidal range energy, including barrage schemes and other alternatives. Any proposal would need to demonstrate value for money, electricity system benefits and effective environmental mitigation before a funding model could be considered.
Asked by: Lord Moynihan (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of recent developments in low-head and bi-directional turbine technology and their potential to improve the economic viability and annual energy output of tidal range generation in the United Kingdom.
Answered by Baroness Curran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government recognises that advances in low-head and bi-directional turbine technology could increase generation opportunities for tidal range projects. We remain open to considering well-developed proposals for barrages, lagoons and other approaches to harnessing tidal range energy. Any proposal would need to provide robust evidence of whole-system benefits and economic viability, including value for money compared with other low-carbon technologies.