Asked by: Stephen Crabb (Conservative - Preseli Pembrokeshire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether she has received recent representations from relevant stakeholders on the adequacy of pot two within the contract for difference allocation round six for supporting at least three floating offshore wind test and demonstration projects.
Answered by Andrew Bowie - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department engages regularly with renewable electricity developers across a range of technologies, including floating offshore wind and tidal. The parameters for Allocation Round 6 include a budget of £105 million for Pot 2. My Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State will have the opportunity to review the budget once eligibility checks and appeals are complete.
Asked by: Stephen Crabb (Conservative - Preseli Pembrokeshire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of pot two of the contract for difference allocation round six in the context of the eligibility of the Green Volt floating offshore wind project.
Answered by Andrew Bowie - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
National Grid (ESO) is currently assessing applications to Allocation Round 6 of the Contracts for Difference scheme. Once all applications have been reviewed and any appeals processes completed, my Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State will have the opportunity to consider revising the budget.
Asked by: Selaine Saxby (Conservative - North Devon)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate she has made of the levelised cost of electricity from hydrogen fired power stations that are due to be commissioned before 2030.
Answered by Andrew Bowie - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Electricity generation costs 2023 report published by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero sets out the assumptions for a hydrogen-fired Combined Cycle Hydrogen Turbine (CCHT) power plant commissioned between 2025-2030. The cost of the electricity was stated as £111/MWh for a baseload CCHT commissioning in 2025 and £108/MWh for 2030.
Hydrogen to Power is an emerging technology and as such all figures are subject to change. We will continue to monitor and update cost estimates based on new evidence as it becomes available. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/electricity-generation-costs-2023.
Asked by: Owen Thompson (Scottish National Party - Midlothian)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether her Department is providing additional support to carers to help with rising energy costs.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Energy prices have fallen significantly since last winter, and the Q2 2024 price cap has fallen by nearly 60% since Q1 2023 when the price cap peaked.
The Government’s cost-of-living support package between 2022 to 2025 is worth £108 billion, or £3,800 per household on average, one of the largest support packages in Europe.
In addition, the Government continues to provide support through the Warm Home Discount, which provides eligible low-income households with an annual £150 rebate off their energy bill every winter.
Carer’s Allowance is also available to provide a measure of financial support to those not able to work full time due to their caring responsibilities. The rate of Carer’s Allowance is £81.90 a week. In addition to Carer’s Allowance, carers on low incomes can claim income-related benefits, such as Universal Credit and Pension Credit.
Asked by: Craig Mackinlay (Conservative - South Thanet)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what the average levelised cost is for combined cycle gas-fired power stations, assuming current natural gas spot prices, in the last five years; and what the average levelised cost is for offshore windfarms commissioned in the same period.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department publishes its levelised costs of electricity for a generic plant in the Generation Costs Report, most recently in 2023 (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/energy-generation-cost-projections). These provide forecasts for 2025 to 2040. Gas CCGT is 114 £/MWh for 2025 and offshore wind is 44 £/MWh for 2025 (2021 price base). Levelised costs use a forecast of gas prices over the lifetime of a plant based on the latest published gas price forecasts at the time of publication (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fossil-fuel-price-assumptions-2019).
Asked by: Selaine Saxby (Conservative - North Devon)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent estimate she has made of what (a) peak and (b) total electricity demand will be in (i) 2025, (ii) 2030, (iii) 2035, (iv) 2040, (v) 2045 and (vi) 2050.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Total demand and peak demand figures corresponding to the latest scenarios published in Annex O of the Energy and Emission Projections[1] are:
|
| 2025 | 2030 | 2035 | 2040 | 2045 | 2050 |
Total Demand (TWh) | Low | 309 | 362 | 449 | 482 | 535 | 580 |
| High | 310 | 363 | 483 | 563 | 656 | 771 |
Peak Demand (GW) | Low | 59 | 74 | 94 | 105 | 119 | 131 |
| High | 59 | 74 | 107 | 139 | 166 | 191 |
[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/energy-and-emissions-projections-2021-to-2040
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how much Ofgem has spent on external consultancies in the last five years.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Ofgem is an independent regulator and accountable directly to Parliament. While DESNZ has close links to Ofgem we do not regulate or fund them. However, information on payments to suppliers, including consultancies, can be found at: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/about-us/corporate-publications/expenses-and-contracts-data?sort=publication_date and Ofgem’s annual report and accounts is at: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/ofgem-annual-report-and-accounts-2022-2023
Asked by: Bill Wiggin (Conservative - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps her Department is taking to reform the Boiler Upgrade Scheme to support off-gas properties.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Government published its response to the consultation on amendments to the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) in March. We will be making a series of changes including: removing insulation requirements; increasing the capacity limit for shared ground loops from 45kW to 300kW; expanding the definition of biomass boilers to include those with a cooking function and introducing flexibility to allow for the potential future differentiation of grant levels for off grid properties.
Asked by: Dave Doogan (Scottish National Party - Angus)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 24 April 2024 to Question 22389 on Department for Energy Security and Net Zero: Aberdeen, what grade the 102 staff employed in her Department's offices in Aberdeen are.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The grade breakdown of current staff based in the Aberdeen office is as follows:
SCS1 | 1 |
G6 | 3 |
G7 | 15 |
SEO | 47 |
HEO | 22 |
EO | 11 |
AO | 3 |
Total | 102 |
Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Wansbeck)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether her Department has made an assessment of the impact of the establishment of a data centre at the Cambois site on the availability of the industrial land to provide the additional electricity infrastructure needed for a gigafactory at that site.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Assessing the impact of new projects connecting to the electricity grid, such as data centres, and designing the network to do so, is the responsibility of licensed electricity network companies, regulated independently by Ofgem.