Oral Answers to Questions

Lord Robathan Excerpts

Thursday 5th February 2015 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

I am extremely grateful to the right hon. Gentleman. All compliments gratefully accepted.

[Mr Andrew Robathan (South Leicestershire) (Con)]

2. What estimate he has made of the proportion of electricity demand that will be met by renewable energy in 2015 compared with 2010.

[The Minister of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change (Matthew Hancock)]

We have doubled the amount of renewable energy from 6.8% of electricity in 2010 to more than 14% of electricity generation.

[Mr Robathan]

So it is true: this is the greenest Government ever. Will my right hon. Friend tell us what proportion of that electricity is generated by onshore wind? Can he confirm that onshore wind is the most mature, least expensive, and most efficient form of renewable energy, and is actually pretty popular?

[Matthew Hancock]

A high proportion of electricity is from onshore wind, but there is also solar—one million people now live in households with solar panels on their roofs—and offshore wind, which plays an important role. We will continue to have a strong energy mix, with a strong performance from renewables, to ensure that we deliver on our pledge, which we are committed to and are fulfilling, to be the greenest Government ever.