To match an exact phrase, use quotation marks around the search term. eg. "Parliamentary Estate". Use "OR" or "AND" as link words to form more complex queries.


View sample alert

Keep yourself up-to-date with the latest developments by exploring our subscription options to receive notifications direct to your inbox

Written Question
Electricity: Standing Charges
Monday 23rd October 2023

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)

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 18 October 2023 to Question 201507 on Electricity: Standing Charges, whether grid connections in one regional area where the energy is transmitted to another are included in the costs of the (a) transmitting and (b) receiving area.

Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

Charging arrangements vary between transmission and distribution networks.

Transmission networks enable the bulk transfer of electricity across the country from sources of generation to local electricity distribution networks, with most costs charged on a national basis.

Transmission charges also feature a locational price signal, reflecting the costs that different users impose on the transmission network by connecting in different locations.

Local distribution networks convey electricity within a region. Distribution charges vary by Distribution Network Operator region, reflecting the different costs of running each local distribution network in a specific region and the number of consumers those costs are spread across.


Written Question
National Grid
Friday 20th October 2023

Asked by: Bernard Jenkin (Conservative - Harwich and North Essex)

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what her planned timetable is for the National Grid Electricity System Operator becoming the Future Systems Operator; whether the Future Systems Operator will be required to follow procedures as set out in the Treasury's Green Book when making recommendations to National Grid Electricity Transmission on investment in electricity transmission infrastructure; and if she will require the Future Systems Operator to take account of the potential impact of any new infrastructure on the (a) environment and (b) value of nearby property.

Answered by Andrew Bowie - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Our aim is for the FSO to be operational in 2024, depending on the Energy Bill and agreeing timelines with key parties.

The FSO will take a strategic whole system approach to network planning, delivered initially by a Centralised Strategic Network Plan (CSNP) for electricity transmission. Ofgem are currently consulting on the CSNP and expect to publish a decision later this year. It is expected the FSO will lead the development of CSNP methodology (approved by Ofgem), and this should consider deliverability, cost, environmental and community impacts, as well as how to utilise the Green Book guidance issued by HM Treasury.


Written Question
Renewable Energy
Wednesday 18th October 2023

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether renewable energy (a) brought ashore for battery storage and hydrogen and (b) not connected to the national grid is subject to grid connection charges or other imposed regulatory costs.

Answered by Andrew Bowie - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Charging liability depends on the exact nature of a connection arrangement, but the general expectation is that a party would not incur charges and costs associated with the licensed electricity network if it is not connected to it.


Written Question
Electricity Generation
Monday 25th September 2023

Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Power Responsive project that has been launched by the Electricity System Operator.

Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

National Grid Electricity System Operator’s (ESO) Power Responsive campaign is one of the principal stakeholder forums that promotes a more flexible approach to electricity consumption (known as demand side response), which can help to drive decarbonisation, bolster our energy security and create savings for consumers.

The Government will continue to work with ESO, Ofgem and industry to support Power Responsive in its work to remove barriers to increased participation in demand side response.


Written Question
National Grid
Tuesday 19th September 2023

Asked by: Lord Whitty (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask His Majesty's Government what additional capacity they forecast is needed on the National Grid to accommodate the level of demand from the anticipated increase in the number of electric vehicles by 2030; and what additional capital costs are required by such increase in capacity for transmission and distribution per annum up to 2030.

Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Electricity Networks Strategic Framework sets out the Government’s approach to readying the network for the increase in peak electricity demand anticipated as we electrify transport and other sectors. We expect peak electricity demand to increase to approximately 80 GW in 2030 of which electric vehicle demand makes up approximately 10%, before any demand side response. Due to existing spare distribution network capacity, we do not expect this to lead to any significant rise in distribution network capital costs before 2030. We expect £30 billion of transmission network investment between 2023 and 2030.


Written Question
National Grid
Monday 18th September 2023

Asked by: John Redwood (Conservative - Wokingham)

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate he has made of the capacity of the UK electricity grid by the end of 2025.

Answered by Andrew Bowie - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The electricity network must have enough capacity to support peak electricity demand. The Electricity Networks Strategic Framework outlines that peak electricity demand is expected to be around 60GW by 2025 in Great Britain.


Written Question
Hydroelectric Power and Nuclear Power: Costs
Wednesday 6th September 2023

Asked by: Drew Hendry (Scottish National Party - Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey)

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 a recent comparative estimate of the economic cost of delivering baseload provision to the national grid from (a) pumped-hydro storage and (b) new nuclear solutions.

Answered by Andrew Bowie - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Data on cost estimates for electricity generation technologies and cost estimates for storage technologies along with their methodologies, data and assumptions are found in the Electricity Generation Costs and Storage Cost and Technical Assumptions reports respectively, published by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. These are not directly comparable for pumped hydro storage and nuclear generation given the different cost base and operating characteristics.

These reports can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/electricity-generation-costs-2023 and https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/storage-cost-and-technical-assumptions-for-electricity-storage-technologies.


Written Question
National Grid
Wednesday 6th September 2023

Asked by: Martyn Day (Scottish National Party - Linlithgow and East Falkirk)

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 has (a) taken and (b) plans to take to expand the capacity of the electricity network capacity while a new Future System Operator is being established.

Answered by Andrew Bowie - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government is taking action to expand the electricity network, in partnership with the regulator and industry bodies. Ofgem is enabling anticipatory investment through regulatory frameworks and has accelerated the delivery of nearly £20bn of strategic transmission projects. We are moving to a strategically planned approach for networks, initially through the Electricity System Operator’s Holistic Network Design, which connects almost new offshore wind in a coordinated way, expanding capacity while improving efficiency. I welcome the Electricity Networks Commissioner’s recent report on accelerating grid infrastructure and government will publish an Action Plan this year in response.


Written Question
National Grid
Monday 24th July 2023

Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)

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 increase grid capacity (a) nationwide and (b) in North Shropshire constituency.

Answered by Andrew Bowie - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government is committed to expanding electricity network capacity to accommodate new clean sources of electricity generation and demand, as set out jointly with Ofgem in the Electricity Networks Strategic Framework.

Across Great Britain, Ofgem has already accelerated £20bn of strategic transmission projects to support the government’s 2030 renewables ambition and has allowed £22.2bn for local distribution networks to expand capacity ready for low-carbon technology growth.

The government does not hold data by constituency but Scottish Power Energy Networks, the Distribution Network Operator that covers North Shropshire, has been allowed nearly £3bn to maintain and upgrade its areas between 2023-28.


Written Question
National Grid: Renewable Energy
Monday 24th July 2023

Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Albans (Bishops - Bishops)

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of delays in connecting solar farms and wind turbines to the national grid; and what steps they are taking to accelerate this process.

Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Years of world-leading green investment has meant network operators have experienced record demand for connections to the electricity network. We have increased the amount of renewable energy connected to the grid more than sixfold since 2010.

Government is working with Ofgem and network companies to release capacity and improve the connections process, to accelerate connections. Actions already underway by network companies are expected to see a reduction in transmission connection timescales of 2-10 years, for the majority of existing projects. Building on this work, the Government and Ofgem will publish a joint action plan on accelerating connections this summer.