Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if her Department will bring forward plans to invest in energy storage, including pump storage hydro, to increase security of electricity supply.

The Department recognises the potential for storage to help us use energy more flexibly and decarbonise our energy system cost effectively, alongside interconnection and demand-side response (DSR). In light of this, more than £80m public sector controlled support has been committed to energy storage research, development and demonstration activities since 2012.

Storage is also eligible to participate in the Capacity Market (CM). One pump hydro company has conditionally prequalified with a new project for the next round of auctions this year.

The Department is investigating the potential barriers to the deployment of energy storage. We are carefully considering possible mitigating actions, focussing in the first instance on removing regulatory barriers to energy storage. We plan to conduct a consultation and call for evidence in the spring.