Asked by: Jamie Stone (Liberal Democrat - Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of her Department's funding schemes providing support with the cost of energy.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Government delivered over £40 billion in support last winter to households and businesses, covering half of a households’ energy bill, between October 2022 and June 2023.
This provided an average of £1,500 to households to support their energy bill costs.
Asked by: Jamie Stone (Liberal Democrat - Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross)
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 including measures in the contracts for difference scheme that allow developers to prioritise projects within geographical areas that have high levels of fuel poverty.
Answered by Graham Stuart
In the UK's wholesale electricity market, power generated from Contracts for Difference (CfD) projects is delivered to the National Grid and so is not allocated to specific geographical areas.
The Government has recently published a Call for Evidence on introducing non-price factors into the CfD scheme. Non-price factors being considered include investments in assisted areas.
Asked by: Jamie Stone (Liberal Democrat - Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether the Government has plans to provide funding to whiskey distilleries in the Highlands to assist the transition from fossil fuels to green energy, such as biogas and hydrogen.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Green Gas Support Scheme provides tariff-based support for biomethane produced via anaerobic digestion injected into the gas grid in Great Britain. The scheme requires that at least 50% of all biomethane (by energy content) produced must use waste or residue feedstocks, which may include residues from the whiskey distilling process.
Achieving the Government's legally binding net zero targets will require a range of technologies. Low carbon hydrogen will be critical to helping vital British industries transition away from expensive oil and gas, as well as providing greener energy for power, transport, and potentially home heating.
Asked by: Jamie Stone (Liberal Democrat - Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps the Government is taking to secure manufacturing investment in the renewable energy industry to help ensure that the UK remains a competitive market for clean energy investment.
Answered by Graham Stuart
Through the Offshore Wind Manufacturing Investment Scheme, the Government has made funding available to support major port and manufacturing infrastructure. The Government has also announced a £160 million investment scheme to support floating offshore wind port and infrastructure development.