Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether it is Government policy to attain technology neutrality; and what progress has been made towards that objective.

We want to see a competitive electricity market, with Government out of the way as much as possible, by 2025. As we move towards this model we need to get the right balance between supporting new technologies and being tough on subsidies. The Government has announced a doubling of DECC’s innovation programme to £500 million which will be focused on technologies that have the potential to scale up and compete in a global market without support. In parallel, the Government has also proposed measures to control subsidies for onshore wind and solar. Subsidies should be temporary, as only when different technologies face their full costs can we achieve a more competitive market.

Government should enable, not dictate. The market should lead our choices.

We want a consumer-led, competition-focused energy system that has energy security at the heart of it and delivers for families and businesses.