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, what level of fire service coverage Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project solar farms are required to have.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Fire service coverage is considered during the examination and determination of any Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project. It is for the applicant to demonstrate satisfactorily that this issue has been addressed, which will include the view of the relevant fire service, Local Authority, and health and safety experts.
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, what level of fire service coverage solar farm applications are required to have in order to be approved as Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Fire service coverage is considered during the examination and determination of any Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project. It is for the applicant to demonstrate satisfactorily that this issue has been addressed, which will include the view of the relevant fire service, Local Authority, and health and safety experts.
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, how much grant funding has been allocated through the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department has allocated over £2.9 billion in grant funding through the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme over the financial years 2020/21 to 2025/26. Further grants are currently being allocated for the financial years 2025/26 to 2027/28 from the budget of more than £1 billion for public sector decarbonisation announced in Autumn Budget 2024.
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, which Government departments have received grant funding through the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme since 5 July 2024.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Phase 4 of the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme was launched in September 2024 and closed to applications in November 2024. Applications are currently being processed by Salix Finance, the non-departmental public body that administers the scheme on behalf of the Department. The full list of grant recipients and funding awarded will be published in due course at the following site: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/public-sector-decarbonisation-scheme.
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, what the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme budget was in financial year (a) 2023-24, (b) 2024-25 and (c) 2025-26.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The budget for the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme was £449 million in 2023/24, £427 million in 2024/25, and is £401 million for 2025/26.
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, whether he has made an assessment of potential trends in the level of additional power demands on the National Grid by the new Universal Studios theme park.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The electricity networks in Great Britain are owned and operated by private companies and regulated independently by Ofgem. Specific details of the connection requirements, such as the level of power supply and associated substation for individual projects are held in private connection contracts between the relevant parties.
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, what the maximum amount of best and most versatile land is that could be (a) used in a solar farm development designated as NSIP and (b) granted a Development Consent Order.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
There is no set maximum amount of best and most versatile land that may be used in a nationally significant infrastructure development. Each case is judged on its own merits in line with the requirements in the Planning Act 2008 and relevant policy, such as the National Policy Statement for Renewable Energy Infrastructure (EN-3) which states at 2.10.29: “Where the proposed use of any agricultural land has been shown to be necessary, poorer quality land should be preferred to higher quality land avoiding the use of Best and Most Versatile agricultural land where possible”, and at 2.10.30: “Whilst the development of ground mounted solar arrays is not prohibited on Best and Most Versatile agricultural land, or sites designated for their natural beauty, or recognised for ecological or archaeological importance, the impacts of such are expected to be considered”.
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, what upgrades his Department plans to make to the Eaton Socon sub-station in Cambridgeshire in order to accommodate greater capacity.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Ofgem regulates the network companies to ensure they are investing to operate, maintain and upgrade electricity infrastructure, including substations. For the next transmission network price control (RIIO-ET3 2026-2031) and distribution network price control (RIIO-ED3 2028-2033), Ofgem has identified the need for significant investment in new capacity ahead of need, based on strategic planning, and regulatory changes to transform Great Britain’s electricity networks to enable clean power and economic growth.
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, what steps he taking to ensure that the Strategic Spatial Energy Plan ensures that new energy infrastructure projects are located in the most appropriate areas.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
In October 2024, the UK, Scottish and Welsh governments commissioned the National Energy System Operator to produce a Strategic Spatial Energy Plan (SSEP). This commission included the development of a methodology to set out in more detail how the SSEP will be produced. The SSEP will not recommend project-specific locations, but will set out the potential for the development of energy infrastructure in different areas of Great Britain through economic and geospatial modelling. The methodology is subject to final approval by the Secretary of State and is due for publication in May.
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, when he plans to publish the Strategic Spatial Energy Plan.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Strategic Spatial Energy Plan will be published by the National Energy System Operator in 2026.