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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent discussions his Department has had with the Department for Infrastructure Northern Ireland on grid infrastructure.
Answered by Andrew Bowie - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
While energy policy is devolved in Northern Ireland, the department for Energy Security and Net Zero regularly meets with the Department for Infrastructure Northern Ireland to discuss grid infrastructure and other issues, including through the bi-monthly Net Zero and Climate Change Interministerial Group.
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, if his Department will make representations to Norway on that country's decision not to proceed with a sub sea cable between Scotland and Norway.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The UK and Norway have a bilateral treaty on electricity interconnection which underpins the close cooperation on further interconnection between the UK and Norway. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uknorway-agreement-on-cross-border-trade-in-electricity-and-cooperation-on-electricity-interconnection-ts-no182021
National Grid Ventures and Statnett jointly own an electricity interconnector, North Sea Link, between Great Britain and Norway (1.4 GW) which has been in operation since October 2021.
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 his Department is participating in work on a proposed sub sea energy cable from Scotland to Norway.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The UK and Norway have a bilateral treaty on electricity interconnection which underpins the close cooperation on further interconnection between the UK and Norway. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uknorway-agreement-on-cross-border-trade-in-electricity-and-cooperation-on-electricity-interconnection-ts-no182021
National Grid Ventures and Statnett jointly own an electricity interconnector, North Sea Link, between Great Britain and Norway (1.4 GW) which has been in operation since October 2021.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
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 30 June 2023 to Question 190541 on Drax Power Station, if he will place in the House of Commons Library a copy of the assessment of the impact of Drax bringing two coal-fired units out of retirement in winter 2023-24 on UK emissions.
Answered by Graham Stuart
Pursuant to the Answer of 30 June 2023 to Question 190541 on Drax Power Station, at the request of Government, National Grid Electricity System Operator (ESO) undertook discussions with the operators of two winter 2022/23 contingency coal plants to establish whether these arrangements could be extended for winter 2023/24.
These discussions have now concluded.
Both Drax and EDF have confirmed that they will not be able to make the coal units available next winter and have begun decommissioning their coal units.
Government considered the impacts on equalities, costs to consumers and on the environment in making the decision to request ESO explore extending the arrangements further. However, as ESO discussions with generators were at an early stage a full impact assessment was not carried out.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
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 30 June 2023 to Question 190540 on Drax Power Station, what estimate his Department has made of the potential cost to (a) consumers and (b) taxpayers of bringing two coal-fired units at Drax North Yorkshire plant out of retirement in winter 2023-24.
Answered by Graham Stuart
Pursuant to the Answer of 30 June 2023 to Question 190540 on Drax Power Station, at the request of Government, National Grid Electricity System Operator undertook discussions with the operators of two winter 2022/23 contingency coal plants to establish whether these arrangements could be extended for winter 2023/24.
Last winter this cost was in the region of £340m to £395m, subject to the resale of unused coal. Costs for winter 23/24 were expected to be lower as the coal stocks from the previous winter were expected to be available to use.
These discussions have now concluded.
Both Drax and EDF have confirmed that they will not be able to make the coal units available next winter and have begun decommissioning their coal units.