Asked by: Graham Leadbitter (Scottish National Party - Moray West, Nairn and Strathspey)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the rollout of the Local Power Plan on local trading from community energy schemes to homes and businesses.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government recognises the important role that community energy can play in supporting local participation in the clean energy transition. Through the Local Power Plan, Government is working with Great British Energy and Ofgem to explore measures that could make it easier for community energy groups to participate in local energy markets.
The Government is monitoring Ofgem’s developments relating to code modification P441, which is intended help community energy groups and other local renewable energy projects identify and understand different routes to selling energy in their local markets.
Asked by: Graham Leadbitter (Scottish National Party - Moray West, Nairn and Strathspey)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when clean community energy companies will be able to sell directly to households and businesses through the Local Power Plan.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government recognises the important role that community energy can play in supporting local participation in the clean energy transition. Through the Local Power Plan, Government is working with Great British Energy and Ofgem to explore measures that could make it easier for community energy groups to participate in local energy markets.
The Government is monitoring Ofgem’s developments relating to code modification P441, which is intended help community energy groups and other local renewable energy projects identify and understand different routes to selling energy in their local markets.
Asked by: Graham Leadbitter (Scottish National Party - Moray West, Nairn and Strathspey)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of increased geological hydrogen production in the UK.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
DESNZ commissioned research from the British Geological Survey to understand the potential for natural hydrogen reserves in the UK. This research was published in 2025 and provides a high level, national scale geological map-based assessment of the UK, identifying areas more and less likely to contain natural hydrogen resources. We are considering further research to build our understanding.
The department is also actively monitoring developments in other countries via our membership of the IEA’s Hydrogen Technology Collaboration Programme. Our teams liaise regularly with academics and experts to make sure the government is well-sighted on emerging technologies, evidence and activities in the UK and internationally.
Asked by: Graham Leadbitter (Scottish National Party - Moray West, Nairn and Strathspey)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment she has made of the impact of standing charges on household bills in Scotland.
Answered by Polly Billington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government knows that, for many consumers, too much of the burden of the bill is placed on standing charges. We are committed to lowering the cost of standing charges and have worked constructively with the regulator, Ofgem, on this issue.
Government recognises that this creates particularly high costs in the North of Scotland, which is why targeted support through the Hydro Benefit Replacement Scheme (HBRS) exists to reduce distribution charges. The scheme is funded by consumers across GB.
Ofgem have launched the Cost Allocation and Recovery Review (CARR) where they are looking at how to take a more holistic and fair approach to structuring energy bills. This includes looking at how costs are split between standing charges and unit rates, how different tariff structures could work, and how costs are shared across different types of consumers, including geographical differences.
Asked by: Graham Leadbitter (Scottish National Party - Moray West, Nairn and Strathspey)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what level of capital funding has been (a) allocated and (b) awarded by GB Energy for solar energy firms in England.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Great British Energy (GBE) does not allocate or publish capital funding by technology or by nation; it is operationally independent and takes investment decisions based on individual opportunities and value for money. GBE has awarded solar funding in England through its ÂŁ7.5 million investment in Naked Energy, a UK firm whose solar-thermal technology is deployed at sites including the British Library and Wimbledon, and which will fund a new UK manufacturing facility. Government and GBE have also separately invested up to ÂŁ300m to date for solar installations across hundreds of schools and hospitals in England, as well as multiple military sites. GBE also funded schemes in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Devolved Governments could choose between funding public sector renewables schemes and community energy projects.
Asked by: Graham Leadbitter (Scottish National Party - Moray West, Nairn and Strathspey)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of Chinese investment in and ownership of offshore wind on national infrastructure resilience.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Ownership and investment in the UK energy sector including offshore wind is subject to the highest level of national security scrutiny.
We work very closely with industry and across government to maintain a detailed picture of foreign involvement in energy infrastructure.
We continue to take a consistent, long-term and strategic approach to managing relations with China and will co-operate where we can, and challenge where we must.
Asked by: Graham Leadbitter (Scottish National Party - Moray West, Nairn and Strathspey)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what proportion of firms operating battery cell capacity across British battery energy storage systems are Chinese- (a) owned and (b) financed.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department works very closely with industry and across government to manage foreign involvement in energy infrastructure. The largest grid-scale battery owners in GB are all UK-based companies - and battery operators include UK, European, Singaporean and US companies - though there has not been a detailed assessment of the ownership and finances of this sector. We continue to take a long-term, strategic and proportionate approach to managing relations with China and will co-operate where we can, and challenge where we must.
Asked by: Graham Leadbitter (Scottish National Party - Moray West, Nairn and Strathspey)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many direct roles have been created within GB Energy since its establishment.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Great British Energy (GBE) is currently building its permanent workforce following its establishment. GBE has 132 people working for the organisation, which includes permanent GBE staff, individuals seconded to the organisation and contingent workers. Since GBE’s pay case was finalised in April, it has launched significant recruitment and is aiming to reach 200 FTE by April 2027 and 300 FTE by April 2028; with the majority of staff based in their Aberdeen HQ. Through its activities and investments, GBE will also support thousands of jobs across the UK.
Asked by: Graham Leadbitter (Scottish National Party - Moray West, Nairn and Strathspey)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of transmission charging structures on the commercial viability of renewable energy developments in Scotland.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Transmission charges are designed to be cost-reflective. As a result, generators located further from centres of demand, and which drive higher levels of network investment, face higher charges. The Government is working with Ofgem to ensure that charging arrangements continue to provide efficient investment signals. The Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme is the government’s main mechanism for supporting new low-carbon electricity generation projects in Great Britain. The Government keeps CfD auction parameters under review ahead of each allocation round and continues to consider how differences in transmission charges across Great Britain may affect participation and competition in future CfD auctions.
Asked by: Graham Leadbitter (Scottish National Party - Moray West, Nairn and Strathspey)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what the staffing numbers are for Great British Energy; how many staff are (a) directly employed, (b) contractors and (c) secondees; from which (i) department, (ii) agency, (iii) public body and (iv) other organisation they have been seconded; what role they undertake within Great British Energy; where they are based; and what the duration is of their secondment.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Great British Energy (GBE) has a total headcount of 132: (a) 55 directly employed (permanent) staff, (b) 31 contractors, and (c) 46 secondees. Secondees are based 2 in Aberdeen, 10 elsewhere in Scotland, and 34 in the rest of the UK. The majority of secondees have joined from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (the majority) and others are drawn from the Scottish Government, Ofgem, the Government Legal Service, the Department for Education, ORE Catapult, Baringa, CO2 Sense and Xodus Group. A full list of secondee roles and durations is attached.