Energy: Storage

Baroness Featherstone Excerpts

Wednesday 1st February 2017 Lords Chamber

Asked by

[Baroness Featherstone]

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to address regulatory, economic and market barriers to energy storage.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (Lord Prior of Brampton)]

My Lords, my department and Ofgem recently held a joint call for evidence on a proposed approach for addressing these barriers. A smart systems plan will be published in the spring setting out specific measures to be taken forward.

[Baroness Featherstone (LD)]

I thank the Minister for that Answer. Can he assure me that in the Government’s response to that call for evidence we will see the introduction of a regulatory definition for energy storage that will, among other benefits, eliminate the double charging that is currently imposed on such facilities?

[Lord Prior of Brampton]

In paragraph 32 on page 34 of the call for evidence there is a suggested definition of storage. That is very much part of the consultation, and we will have a very firm view on that definition. Clearly removing the double charging where people who are operating storage also have to pay the end consumption levies is something for which we will have clear plans when we publish our response to the call for evidence.