Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of taking (a) legislative and (b) regulatory steps to help improve lithium-ion battery safety; including in the planning application process for new battery energy storage systems.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Battery energy storage systems (BESS) are regulated by the Health and Safety Executive within a robust framework which requires battery designers, installers, and operators to take the necessary measures to ensure health and safety through all stages of the system’s deployment.
Government has updated planning practice guidance to encourage BESS developers to engage with local fire services and for local planning authorities to refer to guidance published by the National Fire Chiefs Council.
Government has considered the merits of taking further steps, and in the Clean Power 2030 Action Plan committed that Defra will consult by June 2025 on including BESS within the Environmental Permitting Regulations.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether the Government (a) participates in and (b) funds geoengineering activities; what information his Department holds on organisations in the UK which participate in geoengineering; and whether he plans to introduce regulations on geoengineering.
Answered by Kerry McCarthy - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Geoengineering can be considered to include both greenhouse gas removal technologies (GGRs) and solar radiation modification (SRM). GGRs are important for achieving Net Zero. Government is developing GGR Business Models to incentivise private investment in large-scale projects, and funds small-scale demonstrator projects [1] All projects are subject to relevant Environment Agency and local government regulations. The Government is not deploying SRM and has no plans to do so however it funds modelling research to understand the potential impacts of SRM deployment. Currently there are no UK or international laws specifically governing SRM, but numerous relevant legal frameworks and principles exist [2]
[2] https://co-create-project.eu/publication/scoping-note-on-applicable-legal-frameworks/
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what his timeline is for (a) the consultation on the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard and (b) implementation of the new standard following the consultation.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government will shortly consult on increasing minimum energy efficiency standards in the domestic private rented sector. The consultation will include proposals for rented homes to achieve Energy Performance Certificate C or equivalent by 2030. We will consult on introducing minimum energy efficiency standards for the social rented sector in due course.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether it is his Department's policy to introduce a UK low carbon hydrogen certification scheme.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
We are considering the role of a UK Low Carbon Hydrogen Certification Scheme in achieving clean power by 2030. Further detail on the Government's approach will be announced in due course.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to his keynote speech at the Energy UK conference 2024 on 17 September 2024, what steps he plans to take to help protect communities with an above-average number of substations resulting from high volumes of large projects being simultaneously submitted by different developers.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The strategic network planning processes led by the Government’s new National Energy System Operator ensures community impact is considered when recommendations for new transmission infrastructure are made and that new infrastructure locations are considered strategically and sensitively. Where such infrastructure is needed, developers seek to reduce impacts through its design.
It is also important to this Government that, where communities host clean energy infrastructure, they should directly benefit from it, and we are considering how to most effectively deliver this. This includes developing guidance on community benefits for electricity transmission network infrastructure, which we will publish in due course.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will take steps to ensure that people with a prepayment meter are eligible for electric vehicle friendly tariffs.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Prepayment meter households can be eligible for a range of tariffs, depending on their circumstances. To take advantage of charging an electric vehicle at off-peak rates a smart prepayment meter, or other meter that works on a time of use basis, is required and can be fitted free of charge.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to his keynote speech at the Energy UK conference 2024 on 17 September 2024, what steps he plans to take to promote formal local area energy planning at local authority level.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department is considering the role of local energy planning including how it might interact with new initiatives such as Great British Energy Local Power Plan and Ofgem’s Regional Energy Strategic Plan, which Ofgem are consulting on.