Asked by: Baroness Whitaker (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 case for establishing a separate contracts for difference funding pot for wave energy generation, so that its funding is no longer in competition with technologies which are closer to market.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government is developing auction parameters for the sixth allocation round of the Contracts for Difference scheme, including any for wave technologies. This will take into account several factors, including evidence of the pipeline of available projects. Final parameters, including the budget, will be published ahead of the round opening in March 2024.
Asked by: Baroness Whitaker (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that gypsy and traveller site residents have consumer choice of energy providers.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Electricity and gas suppliers generally provide energy to parks and traveller sites via a contract with the park or site owner, who then resells that energy to the tenants. Therefore, residents buy their energy from the park/site owner, not from an energy supplier.
Ofgem has put in place the Maximum Resale Price regulation which requires park or site owners to resell energy to tenants at the same price that they bought it from the supplier.
Whether a tenant can have a direct relationship with an energy supplier will be governed by the terms of the arrangement between the park or site owner and tenant, plus whether the local metering and cabling arrangements enable the residence to operate a direct connection to the distribution system.
Asked by: Baroness Whitaker (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to support the development of wave energy technology.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Wave energy technologies have promise but they remain some way from commercial viability and are still at a pre-commercial stage.
The Government supports the development of wave energy technologies through research funding programmes operated both centrally and through UK Research and Innovation. Additionally, wave projects remain eligible to compete in the Contracts for Difference scheme.
The Government engages with industry as it seeks to cut costs, improve reliability and compete with other forms of low-carbon generation.
Asked by: Baroness Whitaker (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government on what timescales they expect a marine renewable consent can be achieved; and what specific steps they are taking to support a proportionate, streamlined and bespoke consenting process for marine renewables to accelerate the development and deployment of marine renewables within UK waters.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
In February 2023 the Government published an Action Plan to deliver reforms to improve the planning system for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects, which the Government is implementing. Five revised energy National Policy Statements, published in March 2023, are out for consultation.
Consenting time is around 20 months, although this varies depending on the specific circumstances. In the Action Plan, the Government outlined its intention to establish a fast-track consenting timeframe, which will be available for certain projects, where defined quality standards are met. Proposals for fast-track consenting, including for marine renewables, will be consulted on in spring 2023.
Asked by: Baroness Whitaker (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made, if any, of the performance of Wave Energy Scotland; and what plans they have, if any, to replicate its model to support the development of wave energy in England.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government has no plans to make an assessment of Wave Energy Scotland. It was established, and is fully funded, by the Scottish Government.
The Government supports the development and deployment of wave energy in the UK through research funding programmes and the Contracts for Difference scheme.
Asked by: Baroness Whitaker (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what support they intend to provide to innovative renewable deployment, such as combined wind and wave offshore sites.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government supports innovative renewable deployment through a suite of research funding programmes and the Contracts for Difference scheme. For example, research projects on combining offshore wind and wave sites can apply to UK Research and Innovation for funding.
Asked by: Baroness Whitaker (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many officials are engaged in work to support marine energy reaching commercialisation.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
There are four officials whose work is focussed on supporting marine energy commercialisation at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. They are supported by others across the Department who help deliver various renewable schemes and programmes.
Asked by: Baroness Whitaker (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 merits of introducing a ringfence for wave energy in future contract for difference auctions.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Through the Contracts for Difference scheme the Government can ringfence budgets for technologies where costs are comparatively higher than other technologies in the same pot, but show potential to make an important contribution to decarbonisation targets. In the upcoming Allocation Round 5 auction, tidal stream and wave technologies will be part of the emerging technologies pot, which has a £35m budget. Of this total, the Government has a ring-fenced budget of £10m to support tidal stream projects. Wave technology is costlier and at precommercial stage, which is several years behind tidal stream in development, hence the Government has not set a ring-fenced budget for this technology.
Asked by: Baroness Whitaker (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what funding they intend to make available within the Net Zero Innovation Portfolio for combined wind and wave energy generation.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Net Zero Innovation Portfolio is investing up to £60m to support the development of state-of-the-art technologies in the future offshore wind industry.