Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the strength of UK supply chains for hydrogen and fuel cell technologies, and what plans they have to reduce the UK’s reliance on overseas imports of hydrogen technologies for taxpayer-funded hydrogen projects.
Answered by Lord Wilson of Sedgefield - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The UK is optimally positioned to develop a thriving hydrogen economy, with many UK companies at the forefront of hydrogen technology advancement.
The Government announced a public finance offer for clean energy industries to crowd private investment into sustainable UK supply chains. This includes: a £1bn Clean Energy supply chain fund; £5.8bn for the National Wealth Fund to invest across this Parliament in clean industries including low-carbon hydrogen; and a £4bn British Business Bank Industrial Strategy Growth Capital initiative.
We will also work with projects to deliver events connecting developers and suppliers.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the export potential of the UK hydrogen and fuel cell technology sector by 2030, and what steps they are taking to support UK access into international markets.
Answered by Lord Wilson of Sedgefield - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
UK companies are at the forefront of the clean energy transition, and are already exporting their innovative technologies and world-renowned services to projects across the globe.
We are working hard to ensure UK hydrogen and fuel cell companies continue to capitalise on the opportunities of the global clean energy transition, and to access high value opportunities in international markets.
This includes working to remove trade barriers, as well as championing our world-leading hydrogen companies overseas.
We are also working with international governments to unlock opportunities in established and emerging markets, establishing international partnerships to support UK commercial collaborations.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to work with Ofgem to publish updated planning and grid connection guidance for digital infrastructure to prevent bottlenecks in the grid connections queue and to ensure that other sectors are not deprioritised in favour of data centres.
Answered by Lord Wilson of Sedgefield - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
As announced in the Industrial Strategy, my department is developing measures to accelerate the connection of high-value strategic demand projects in a wide range of sectors, while continuing to support all users to connect to the grid more quickly through broader grid upgrades.
The Department is also working with Ofgem on its End-to-End Review of the obligations and incentives pertaining to network companies in the delivery of grid connections. This will improve customer communications and ensure high levels of service for all customers. This complements ongoing, fundamental reforms to the connections process that will significantly reduce congestion and bottlenecks.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to removing current policy levies from electricity bills (1) to alleviate affordability concerns for vulnerable customers, and (2) to incentivise electrification.
Answered by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath
The Government believes that our mission to deliver clean power by 2030 is the best way to break our dependence on global fossil fuel markets and protect billpayers permanently. This, combined with our Warm Homes Plan to upgrade millions of homes to make them warmer and cheaper to run is how we will drive down energy bills and make cold homes a thing of the past.
We recognise that we need to support households struggling with bills whilst we transition to clean power by 2030. This is why we delivered the Warm Home Discount to around 3 million eligible low-income households last winter. In February, we published a consultation on the expansion of the Warm Home Discount which would bring around 2.7 million households into the scheme and supporting a total of 6 million households. The consultation has now closed and the Department is evaluating the responses.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to remove (1) legacy renewables policy costs, and (2) climate change levy payments, from energy bills for non-domestic consumers.
Answered by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath
The Government is committed to ensuring that energy bills for non-domestic customers are affordable.
Legacy renewable policy costs, such as the Renewables Obligation (RO) and Feed-in Tariff (FiT) schemes, are now closed to new applicants but have brought forward the successful renewable electricity sector that we see today in the UK. This, in turn, is supporting our mission to deliver clean power by 2030 so we can reduce our reliance on international gas markets.
By driving investment in renewables, they have significantly lowered the cost of renewable electricity production over time, leading to a more affordable and sustainable energy future.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to meet Energy UK to discuss the recommendations made in the report How to cut bills: a crisis we can't afford to ignore, published on 11 March.
Answered by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath
Ministers in the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero have regular meetings with Energy UK on a range of important issues, including the cost of energy bills.
The Government believes that our mission to deliver clean power by 2030 is the best way to break our dependence on global fossil fuel markets and protect billpayers permanently.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the impending European Union carbon border adjustment mechanism on clean energy investment on the island of Ireland.
Answered by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath
The EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) is in an implementation period and applies to exports of electricity to the EU but not electricity for the UK market. The EU Commission has said that it intends to finalise the regulation via legislation ahead of the CBAM entering its definitive period.
The UK will continue to engage closely with the EU as it finalises the CBAM and will continue to raise the need for clarity on the practical implementation of the CBAM for trade in electricity, given the challenges involved.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the impending European Union carbon border adjustment mechanism on the functioning of the single electricity market on the island of Ireland.
Answered by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath
The Government plans to apply the UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism across the whole UK, including in NI. The UK will continue to work with international partners, including the EU, to ensure our approach is implemented in a way that works for businesses.
The EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism could only apply in Northern Ireland with the agreement of the UK and in line with the democratic safeguards of the Windsor Framework.
For goods moving from Northern Ireland into the EU, guidance is a matter for the European Commission and EU Member States. The UK have raised with the EU Commission the need for clarity on the practical implementation of the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism for trade in electricity.
The EU Commission website is the most up to date source of information and guidance.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to discuss linking the respective emissions trading schemes of the UK and the European Union at the UK–EU leaders' summit on 19 May.
Answered by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath
The Government has committed to improving the UK’s trade and investment relationship with the EU, and tackle unnecessary barriers to trade. Under the terms of the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA), the UK Government and EU agreed to cooperate on carbon pricing and give serious consideration to linking respective emissions trading schemes (ETSs). Ahead of the UK-EU Summit on the 19th May, the UK Government is actively considering the case for linking ETSs. This does not prejudge the outcome of any potential discussions with the EU on ETS linking.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to discuss linking the respective emissions trading schemes of the UK and EU at the UK-EU Leaders Summit on 19 May 2025.
Answered by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath
Under the terms of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA), the UK Government and EU agreed to give serious consideration to linking our respective carbon pricing schemes and to cooperate on carbon pricing. As part of our reset with the EU the Government continues to explore all options to improve trade and investment.