Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to deploy new hydroelectric storage capacity in (a) Scotland and (b) the UK.

The Government and Ofgem recently published a joint Call for Evidence on how to manage the transition to a smart energy system. This included a proposed approach to addressing policy and regulatory barriers to energy storage so that it can compete on a level playing field with other providers of flexibility. We will publish a Smart Systems Plan in spring 2017 setting out specific measures to be taken forward.

Since 2012, more than £80m of public sector controlled support has been invested in energy storage research, development and demonstration activities. This has included a grant to a UK pumped hydro storage company to analyse the potential for developing new facilities in novel sites around Great Britain. The 2016 Budget announcement committed at least £50 million to help innovation in energy storage, demand-side response and other smart technologies over the next five years.