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 Department’s press release entitled UK and Europe sign historic pact to drive clean energy future, published on 26 January 2026, what assessment his Department have made of the level of additional energy storage capacity required to accommodate the increase in electricity generated as a result of the agreement.

Coordinating with our neighbours can cut costs, strengthen energy security and help build a more flexible system. Any future hybrid projects, combining interconnection with offshore wind, will be guided by the Strategic Spatial Energy Plan (SSEP) conducted by our National Energy System Operator (NESO), which will be consulted on in Q1 2027. The SSEP will take a whole systems approach, co-optimising electricity generation, interconnection and storage across GB out to 2050. This will ensure that our international ambitions are coherent with domestic needs.