Oral Answers to Questions

Bill Esterson Excerpts

Wednesday 21st January 2026 Commons Chamber

[Perran Moon (Camborne and Redruth) (Lab)]

1. What recent discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on support for clean energy projects in Wales.

[Bill Esterson (Sefton Central) (Lab)]

9. What recent discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on support for clean energy projects in Wales.

[Steve Race (Exeter) (Lab)]

11. What recent discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on support for clean energy projects in Wales.

--- Later in debate ---

[Bill Esterson]

The Secretary of State quite rightly mentioned the jobs and growth that will result from the projects at Awel y Môr and Erebus in the Celtic sea, but the price in auction round 7 was 40% lower than the equivalent for new gas-fired power stations, and Putin’s latest remarks have reminded us of the volatility of the gas price. Does she agree that Welsh consumers will benefit from cheaper bills, and that the projects will give us greater security, as well as the benefits she outlined earlier?

[Jo Stevens]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. This was the most successful auction round in European history, as I have mentioned. Awel y Môr is the first offshore wind project in Wales to win a contract in over a decade, and Erebus will be Wales’s first floating offshore wind farm. These projects will power almost 1 million homes and bring £2.6 billion of investment to Welsh coastal and industrial communities, but as he says, and most importantly, they will create thousands of jobs and bring down bills as we produce more, cheaper clean energy and gain our energy independence.