Asked by: Damien Egan (Labour - Bristol North East)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of the utilisation of motorway space for power generation.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
No formal assessment has been made.
There is no barrier to the use of motorway land for generation. Motorways sometimes have spare ground, which could theoretically be used to generate power, such as by solar panels or wind turbines. There is frequently local demand for electricity, such as for lights and signs.
However, there are likely to be some practical challenges in each case. For example, developers would need to ensure that: equipment does not interfere with the flow of traffic; there is sufficient room for associated infrastructure; and it is safe for those performing maintenance on the systems.
Asked by: Damien Egan (Labour - Bristol North East)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department plans to take to support the expansion of residential solar panel installations.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government continues to support the installation of rooftop solar PV in various ways, for example through the Smart Export Guarantee, which enables households with solar panels to receive payment for excess electricity that is sold back to the grid.
We are investing £13.2bn in the Warm Homes Plan to help households take up measures like solar panels, heat pumps, batteries and insulation.
Additionally, the Government will publish the Future Homes Standard in the coming months which will ensure solar panels are installed on the vast majority of new build homes.