Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, which companies have applied to operate a small modular reactor.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
I understand the Right Honourable Member is asking about small modular reactor technology vendors down-selected to negotiate with Great British Nuclear as part of its ongoing competition. The vendors are: GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy International LLC; Holtec Britain Ltd; Rolls Royce SMR Ltd; and Westinghouse Electric Company UK Ltd. Final decisions will be taken in the spring.
Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when recent estimate his Department has made of when small modular reactors will be operational.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government is committed to ensuring new nuclear power stations, such as Hinkley Point C, Sizewell C, and Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), will play an important role in helping the UK achieve energy security and clean power while securing thousands of good, skilled jobs.
Great British Nuclear (GBN), the government’s expert nuclear delivery body, is running an SMR technology selection process and is negotiating with four companies. Final decisions will be taken in the spring. GBN is working to a timeline that enables a robust process underpinned by fairness and transparency, to ensure any selected technology provides best value for money. The programme seeks to select those technologies best able to facilitate operational projects by the mid-2030s.
Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what plans he has to invest in tidal power.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The UK possesses tremendous tidal resource and could play a role in balancing the intermittency of wind and solar generation as we transition towards a carbon-neutral power sector.
The UK remains the world leader in tidal stream generation technologies, with around half of the world's operational deployment of this situated in UK waters. On 3rd September 2024, the Government announced that six tidal stream contracts were secured with a joint capacity of 28MW in Contracts for Difference Allocation Round 6. The UK is on track to have over 130 MW of tidal stream capacity deployed by 2029.
The Government is also open to considering well-developed proposals for harnessing the tidal range energy in the bays and estuaries around our coastlines, including barrage schemes and other alternatives.
Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he plans to produce a feasibility study on tidal power.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The UK possesses tremendous tidal resource and could play a role in balancing the intermittency of wind and solar generation as we transition towards clean power.
The UK remains the world leader in tidal stream generation technologies, with around half of the world's operational deployment of this situated in UK waters. On 3rd September 2024, the Government announced that six tidal stream contracts were secured with a joint capacity of 28MW in Contracts for Difference Allocation Round 6. The UK is on track to have over 130 MW of tidal stream capacity deployed by 2029.
The Government is also open to considering well-developed proposals for harnessing the tidal range energy in the bays and estuaries around our coastlines, including barrage schemes and other alternatives.
Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what plans he has to help reduce household energy bills; and when those plans will come into effect.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government believes that the only way to guarantee our energy security and protect billpayers permanently is to speed up the transition away from fossil fuels and towards homegrown clean energy. The creation of Great British Energy will help us to harness clean energy and have less reliance on foreign, volatile energy markets, and help in our commitment to produce all of the UK's energy from clean power sources by 2030.
In the short-term, we will continue to deliver the Warm Home Discount which provides a £150 annual rebate on energy bills for eligible low-income households. We will also invest an extra £6.6 billion in energy efficiency funding over this Parliament to upgrade 5 million homes and cut bills for families.
Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what types of jobs Great British Energy will create; and where those jobs will be (a) in the North west and (b) nationally.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Great British Energy will create thousands of jobs and build supply chains across the UK, including at its future head office in Scotland. Its investments will support companies across the energy industry, providing opportunities for high quality, well-paid work. We already see the diversity of projects across the UK – from wind turbine construction in Teesside and Merseyside, to nuclear power in Suffolk, tidal projects in Scotland, hydropower in Wales, solar farms in Wiltshire and offshore wind in Belfast. Every part of the UK has a role to play in delivering energy security and transition to clean power by 2030.
Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
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 (a) an assessment of the effectiveness of heat pumps in older homes and (b) the potential cost to rural home owners of upgrading their home insulation to increase the heat pumps effectiveness.
Answered by Graham Stuart
Government analysis suggests around 90% of fossil fuel heated homes, including 70% of fossil fuel heated homes built before 1919, are suitable for low temperature heat pumps, based on evidence of their energy efficiency and electrical connections.
A higher proportion of properties are likely to become suitable following energy efficiency upgrades or by using a high temperature heat pump.
The Government has published an online tool setting out the potential costs to households seeking to upgrade their energy efficiency.
The Government recognises that not all properties will be suitable for a heat pump and there will be a role for alternative low carbon technologies where heat pumps cannot be used.
Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, If he will make it his policy to increase the national grid capacity and network to encourage horticulture growers to invest in renewables .
Answered by Andrew Bowie - Shadow Minister (Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government is committed to accelerating the delivery of new electricity network capacity to accommodate new renewable generation, as set out, jointly with Ofgem, in the Electricity Networks Strategic Framework. Through Ofgem’s Accelerating Strategic Transmission Investment work, approximately £20bn worth of network projects have been accelerated to support new renewable generation. In addition, Ofgem have removed or reduced the contribution to distribution network reinforcement costs which may be required to accommodate a connection. This has made it cheaper for customers, including horticulture growers, to connect renewables and other low carbon technologies to the electricity distribution network.
Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will extend the definition of energy-intensive industries to include (a) horticulture and (b) other energy intensive agriculture sectors.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government has no plans to extend the sectors included within the energy and trade intensive industries element of the Energy Bill Discount Scheme. The Energy Bill Relief Scheme review assessed qualitative and quantitative evidence from stakeholders on sectors that may be most affected by rising energy prices based on energy and trade intensity.
The outcome of the review informed the criteria of the Energy Bill Discount Scheme (EBDS) and the higher level of support to be provided for the most energy and trade intensive sectors which meet agreed thresholds for energy and trade intensity.
The methodology for determining the eligibility of SIC Codes for the higher Energy and Trade Intensive Industry (ETII) support is available on GOV.UK.