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Written Question
Geothermal Power
Friday 3rd February 2023

Asked by: Alan Whitehead (Labour - Southampton, Test)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if his Department will take steps to implement a national framework to incentivise and manage exploration and production of geothermal heat.

Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The 2021 Heat and Buildings Strategy acknowledges the potential of geothermal energy and sets out the Government’s commitment to monitor developments in geothermal heat in the UK and assess whether the technology provides a cost-effective option for the future. BEIS is currently supporting a project led by the British Geological Survey to clearly outline the opportunities and barriers for geothermal heat in the UK. When complete, officials will closely review the findings before evaluating next steps.


Written Question
Energy: Prices
Wednesday 1st February 2023

Asked by: Alan Whitehead (Labour - Southampton, Test)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the Growth Plan 2022, whether it remains the Government's policy to meet environmental and social costs, including green levies, included in domestic energy bills for two years from the public purse.

Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government is determined to ensure its environmental and social policies work for all energy consumers and increase our energy security.

The Government is setting the new unit rates for the Energy Price Guarantee (EPG) from April 2023. This will include consideration of whether green levies will be covered by the EPG.


Written Question
Renewable Energy
Monday 30th January 2023

Asked by: Alan Whitehead (Labour - Southampton, Test)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department plans to take steps consult on long-term options for energy levies and obligations.

Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government is committed to ensuring the costs of the UK's energy transition are fair and affordable for all users. Exposure to volatile global gas prices underscores the importance of the UK's plan to build a strong, home-grown renewable energy sector and the Government is looking at a range of options for longer term market reform.

The Government is providing robust support for households, through the Energy Price Guarantee and the targeted support for the most vulnerable households, and for businesses via the Energy Bills Relief Scheme until March 2023 and the Energy Bills Discount Scheme until March 2024.


Written Question
Energy: Prices
Monday 30th January 2023

Asked by: Alan Whitehead (Labour - Southampton, Test)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make it his policy to provide funding to cover the environmental and social costs, including green levies, currently included in non-domestic energy bills.

Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Energy Bill Relief Scheme has provided an unprecedented level of support to non-domestic energy consumers during this crisis, and will continue to do so until March 2023. In addition to this, following an HMT-led review into the Energy Bill Relief Scheme, the new Energy Bill Discount Scheme will run from April until March 2024, which will continue to provide a discount to eligible non-domestic customers.


Written Question
Energy Company Obligation: Low Incomes
Tuesday 24th January 2023

Asked by: Alan Whitehead (Labour - Southampton, Test)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make it his policy to target all the funding from the ECO+ scheme at the low-income eligibility group in order to help meet the Government's fuel poverty targets.

Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government published a consultation on the design of the ECO+scheme, which proposed a requirement for a minimum of 20% of the obligation to be delivered to low-income households. The Government has not proposed to restrict the number of low-income households that can be supported through the scheme. The remaining obligation is available to both low-income households and a wider customer base, who otherwise would not be eligible for any support through other Government energy efficiency schemes.

The Government is analysing responses to the consultation and will publish a response in due course.


Written Question
Geothermal Power: Finance
Monday 16th January 2023

Asked by: Alan Whitehead (Labour - Southampton, Test)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department has considered introducing a floor mechanism for the development of geothermal energy schemes as part of pot 2 arrangements with Allocation Round 5 of Contracts for Difference.

Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government is currently developing auction parameters for Allocation Round 5, including any for ‘Pot 2’ technologies such as geothermal, taking into account evidence from stakeholders. Full auction parameters will be published in a Budget Notice ahead of the round opening in March this year.


Written Question
Hydrogen: Production
Monday 9th January 2023

Asked by: Alan Whitehead (Labour - Southampton, Test)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make an estimate of the potential volumes of electrolytic hydrogen production that could be sourced from energy from waste facilities; and if she will take steps to develop policy frameworks to help enable investment in low carbon hydrogen production from energy from waste.

Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government considered the potential value of hydrogen production from waste in the July UK Hydrogen Strategy Update to Market. Projects seeking to produce electrolytic hydrogen using energy from waste are already able to apply for support where they can show they meet the current Low Carbon Hydrogen Standard. The Government is considering this production route as it supports UK domestic production, including the appropriate carbon accounting regime under future iterations of the Standard.


Written Question
Hydrogen: Production
Monday 9th January 2023

Asked by: Alan Whitehead (Labour - Southampton, Test)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to assess and support alternative pathways for low carbon hydrogen not considered in this year’s Low Carbon Hydrogen Standard, such as electrolytic hydrogen from energy from waste, ahead of the planned update to the Standard next year.

Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government considered the potential value of hydrogen production from waste in the July UK Hydrogen Strategy Update to Market. Projects seeking to produce electrolytic hydrogen using energy from waste are already able to apply for support where they can show they meet the current Low Carbon Hydrogen Standard. The Government is considering this production route as it supports UK domestic production, including the appropriate carbon accounting regime under future iterations of the Standard.


Written Question
Hydrogen: Production
Monday 9th January 2023

Asked by: Alan Whitehead (Labour - Southampton, Test)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what funding has his Department allocated towards the development of electrolytic hydrogen production from energy facilities.

Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Low carbon hydrogen is critical to energy security, presents a significant growth opportunity and will help the UK reach its net zero target. BEIS has launched a joint Hydrogen Production Business Model and Net Zero Hydrogen Fund allocation round for electrolytic projects, with contracts due to be awarded in 2023. The Government aims to support projects deploying at the earliest opportunity, with up to 1GW electrolytic hydrogen in construction or operation by 2025 and up to 10GW of low carbon hydrogen production capacity by 2030.


Written Question
District Heating
Monday 19th December 2022

Asked by: Alan Whitehead (Labour - Southampton, Test)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department is taking steps to ensure that the energy support provided by his Department to heat network customers after March 2023 will be bespoke to the needs of those people.

Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

A HM Treasury-led review of the EBRS will determine support for non-domestic energy consumers beyond 31 March 2023. The government has published terms of reference for the review, with the findings to be published by 31 December 2022.