Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether staff at the National Energy System Operator are permitted to own shares in National Grid.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
New employees at the National Energy System Operator (NESO) are required to divest any holding of energy sector shares, including in National Grid plc.
For employees transferring from National Grid Energy System Operator there are legacy arrangements in place. They have been allowed to keep their existing shares in the energy sector to prevent any individuals unfairly losing out in the NESO transaction.
Employees are required to disclose shareholdings, seek approval for any share sales, and cannot purchase new shares.
The board and Executive team cannot acquire new energy sector shares and have to divest all existing holdings over time.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has made an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the Institute for Public Policy Research report entitled Resilient by design: Building secure clean energy supply chains, published on 16 January 2026.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The government is committed to growing resilient clean energy supply chains and creating good jobs across the UK. Our Clean Energy Industries Sector Plan gives investors the certainty they need to expand UK manufacturing across technologies from wind and nuclear to hydrogen, carbon capture, heat pumps and grid infrastructure. We have capitalised the National Wealth Fund with £27.8 billion, including £5.8 billion for key low‑carbon industries, and Great British Energy has launched a £1 billion supply chain programme, including a £300 million offshore wind fund now open for applications.
We will continue to engage with industry, trade unions, and experts to implement the Sector Plan, including the IPPR.
Asked by: Anna Dixon (Labour - Shipley)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of utilising disused water and gas pipes in the laying of new electrical cables as part of National Grid upgrades.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Network operators are responsible for assessing and selecting the appropriate construction methods for new infrastructure.
The government has not undertaken an assessment of utilising disused pipes for the installation of new electricity cables but notes there are technical difficulties in using redundant pipes for electricity transmission, including the need to dissipate heat from electricity cables running through the pipes, means of access for maintenance and repair, the need to pass cables through the existing compressors and valves and, for AC cables, the need for power factor correction components.
In addition, redundant pipes are not always located where infrastructure is required.
Asked by: Carla Lockhart (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to help improve the resilience of the UK electricity grid in extreme weather conditions.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department for Energy Security & Net Zero works extensively with the energy sector to continually improve and maintain the resilience and security of energy infrastructure against risks including severe weather events, such as storms.
The Energy Resilience Strategy, due for publication later this year, will seize the unique opportunity presented by the energy transition to embed resilience into the design of our future energy system.
This Strategy will set out our priorities for building a secure and resilient energy system and explain how we will work with industry, infrastructure partners, and the public to strengthen prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery.
Energy policy and electricity system resilience are transferred matters in Northern Ireland, falling within the legislative competence of the Northern Ireland Assembly and the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Executive The UK Government maintains a close working relationship with the Department for the Economy, supporting them in managing energy security and resilience, and stands ready to help Northern Ireland during significant disruptions, as demonstrated during Storm Eowyn.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what plans his Department has to accelerate grid upgrades to support the connection of AI and data centre infrastructure.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government is implementing a comprehensive package to accelerate grid upgrades, addressing decades of underinvestment to deliver clean and affordable electricity and support timely grid connections. As announced in November, the Government will use powers taken in the Planning and Infrastructure Act to reserve and reallocate future capacity for strategic projects, including AI Growth Zones. All designated AI Growth Zones will benefit from dedicated optioneering support through the Connections Accelerator Service. Furthermore, we will develop plans alongside Ofgem to enable AI Growth Zones developers to build their own high voltage grid infrastructure.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to accelerate grid upgrades to support energy security and industrial investment.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The electricity network companies are responsible for building, owning and operating the grid, and Government is working with them, Ofgem and the National Energy System Operator to accelerate the delivery of critical network infrastructure and reform the grid connections process to support energy security and industrial investment.
Grid expansion will be a critical enabler for both the government’s Clean Energy Superpower and Growth missions.
The recent interim publication of the Electricity Networks Sector Growth Plan by industry and Government demonstrates the positive impact network expansion will have specifically in the electricity networks supply chain.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what the estimated total cost of the National Grid's Eryri Visual Impact Provision is; and by what date it will be completed.
Answered by Lord Whitehead - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government does not hold a specific estimate for the total cost or completion date of National Grid’s Eryri project. Responsibility for delivery and associated costs rests with National Grid under Ofgem’s regulatory framework.
Asked by: Angus MacDonald (Liberal Democrat - Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what standards of forest sustainability are required of Drax for the supply of electricity to (a) private data centres and (b) the National Grid.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Drax must ensure its power generation complies with the terms of its subsidy agreements, currently provided for by the Renewables Obligation (RO) and Contract for Difference (CfD) schemes. These agreements include wide-ranging environmental protections addressing biodiversity, greenhouse gas emissions, legal and sustainable harvesting, and maintaining forest productivity, and require at least 70% of woody biomass to be sustainably sourced.
From 2027 these arrangements will be replaced by the new Low-Carbon Dispatchable CfD. This will require all of Drax’s generation to comply with strengthened sustainability standards, including an obligation to ensure that 100% of biomass used is sustainably sourced. We have also tightened the standard of supply chain greenhouse gas emissions and excluded primary feedstocks sourced from primary and old growth forests from receiving support payments.
Asked by: Gareth Davies (Conservative - Grantham and Bourne)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether the time taken to publish the Steel Strategy will impact the commencement of grid connection upgrades required for the transition to electric arc furnace production.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government is committed to supporting the UK steel sector. Our decisive legislative intervention at British Steel has secured UK manufactured steel for nationally important projects like airports and rail and supported jobs and national security.
We also remain committed to delivering a steel strategy in early 2026. The strategy will set out a long-term vision for a bright and sustainable steel sector in the UK and the actions needed to get there. Ministers and officials continue to engage closely with industry, trade unions and the Devolved Governments to ensure the final strategy delivers for businesses, steelworkers and the wider UK economy.
We do not anticipate any adverse impacts on British Steel or the availability of credit insurance for SMEs in the steel supply chain arising from the revised publication timing.
Asked by: Llinos Medi (Plaid Cymru - Ynys Môn)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what impact has the decision to designate two AI Growth Zones in Wales had on NESO’s plans for improving grid connections in both (a) north Wales and (b) south Wales.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Both sites had grid connections being realised before 2030, so are already accounted for in NESO’s planning.