Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they gave, in deciding on introducing additional electricity generation by way of new gas facilities, to whether these requirements could have been met by accelerating the small modular reactors programme.

A range of sources of generation contribute to system flexibility, especially when the wind isn't blowing or the sun isn't shining. In the case of nuclear, Great British Nuclear is running a Technology Selection Process for Small Modular Reactors. The Government’s aim is to run the fastest competition of its kind in the world, to identify technologies with the potential to deliver projects in the mid-2030s.

In the immediate term, to maintain security of electricity supply, a limited amount of new gas capacity is needed as the main mature technology capable of providing sustained flexible capacity.