Asked by: Jonathan Edwards (Independent - Carmarthen East and Dinefwr)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what discussions she has had with the Welsh Government on an application to OFGEM by Green Gen Cymru for a license to operate as an Independent Distribution Network Operator.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Network regulation, including the ability to grant Distribution Network Operator licenses, is a matter for Ofgem as the independent energy regulator. As such, the government does not comment on Ofgem’s decision making on licence applications.
Asked by: Jonathan Edwards (Independent - Carmarthen East and Dinefwr)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what discussions she has had with OFGEM on the licence application by Green Gen Cymru to operate as an Independent Distribution Network Operator.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Network regulation, including the ability to grant Distribution Network Operator licenses, is a matter for Ofgem as the independent energy regulator. As such, the government does not comment on Ofgem’s decision making on licence applications.
Asked by: Jonathan Edwards (Independent - Carmarthen East and Dinefwr)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the enforcement powers of the Energy Ombudsman.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Ofgem, the independent regulator, is responsible for compliance and enforcement of license conditions.
As an Alternative Dispute Resolution scheme, the Energy Ombudsman does not have the enforcement powers of Ofgem does. The Energy Ombudsman can however tell suppliers to take practical action, make an apology, offer financial awards up to £10,000, and make recommendations to prevent an issue from happening again. Energy suppliers are legally bound to implement decisions made by the Ombudsman.
Asked by: Jonathan Edwards (Independent - Carmarthen East and Dinefwr)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether she has had discussions with Ofgem to ensure that heat pump installation companies under the Energy Company Obligation scheme provide (a) a suitable service for customers to assist with problems and (b) provide advice on the optimal use of the new heating system.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
All installations under the Energy Company Obligation scheme must be carried out by a TrustMark registered business. Installations of low carbon measures, such as heat pumps, must be carried out in accordance with the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) requirements.
TrustMark’s Customer Charter sets out the responsibilities of any TrustMark registered installer which includes the registered business ensuring there is a proper testing and hand-over process to ensure the customer knows how installations work and should be maintained.
Ofgem has set out a route to redress for any issues arising from measures installed under the scheme, which can be found at: www.ofgem.gov.uk/eco4-complaints-process.
Asked by: Jonathan Edwards (Independent - Carmarthen East and Dinefwr)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to page 95 of the Autumn Statement 2023, whether she has had discussions with the Welsh Government on the Transmission Acceleration Action plan.
Answered by Andrew Bowie - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
I met with the Welsh Government’s Minister for Climate Change, to discuss the Transmission Acceleration Action Plan in advance of publication. Speeding up the deployment of electricity networks across Great Britain is a key shared objective and the UK Government has worked with the Welsh Government to develop the Action Plan and will continue to do so as it is implemented.
Asked by: Jonathan Edwards (Independent - Carmarthen East and Dinefwr)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps she is taking to support vulnerable people of working age with their energy costs in winter 2023-24.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
We are aware of the challenges that vulnerable consumers are facing this winter.
This is why further to additional cost of living support of up to £900, we are delivering targeted energy support through the Warm Home Discount, Winter Fuel and Cold Weather payments.
Asked by: Jonathan Edwards (Independent - Carmarthen East and Dinefwr)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to her Department's consultation entitled Planning for new energy infrastructure: revisions to National Policy Statements, when she plans to publish the revised National Policy Statement EN-5.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government carried out a public consultation which closed on 23 June and is on track to present the updated National Policy Statements to Parliament and publish them alongside the response to the Electricity Networks Commissioner’s Report later this month.
Asked by: Jonathan Edwards (Independent - Carmarthen East and Dinefwr)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if she will commission a working group to consider advances in cable ploughing technology before publishing a new EN-5 Electricity Networks National Policy Statement.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government sets the rules for a robust and independent planning process. The design and development of energy transmission infrastructure, including which technology would be used for construction of a project, is a matter for the developer, with the implications of that choice considered through the planning process. The Government carried out a full public consultation on its National Policy Statements - including EN-5 - earlier this year and will shortly be publishing them and laying them before Parliament ahead of designation.
Asked by: Jonathan Edwards (Independent - Carmarthen East and Dinefwr)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether she has made a comparative estimate of the cost of (a) modern cable ploughing technology against (b) traditional overhead pylon technology in regard to electricity transmission infrastructure.
Answered by Andrew Bowie - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government consultation on the draft energy National Policy Statements closed on 23 June and we are reviewing the responses. This included that overhead lines should be the strong starting presumption for electricity networks developments but that in nationally designated landscapes the strong starting presumption will be that the applicant should underground the relevant section of the line. Decisions on which technology would be used for construction would be a matter for the developer. Government officials engage and meet with all devolved administrations, including Welsh Government, as required for policy development and evaluation.
Asked by: Jonathan Edwards (Independent - Carmarthen East and Dinefwr)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what discussions she has had with the Welsh Government over the suitability of modern cable ploughing technology for the installation of 132kV electricity transmission infrastructure.
Answered by Andrew Bowie - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government consultation on the draft energy National Policy Statements closed on 23 June and we are reviewing the responses. This included that overhead lines should be the strong starting presumption for electricity networks developments but that in nationally designated landscapes the strong starting presumption will be that the applicant should underground the relevant section of the line. Decisions on which technology would be used for construction would be a matter for the developer. Government officials engage and meet with all devolved administrations, including Welsh Government, as required for policy development and evaluation.