Asked by: Olly Glover (Liberal Democrat - Didcot and Wantage)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the cost-effectiveness of unsupported flaring, in terms of cost per tonne of CO₂ equivalent abated, compared with other methane abatement measures.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The term 'unsupported flaring’ is not used by the government. Oil and gas operators are required to deliver zero routine flaring on their assets by 2030 and submit costed Emissions Reduction Action Plans to the North Sea Transition Authority. Flaring activity accounts for approximately 16% of offshore upstream oil and gas greenhouse gas emissions. Emissions from flaring are primarily carbon dioxide.
In its Emissions Monitoring Report 2025, the NSTA estimated that flaring from UK oil and gas production fell by 51% between 2018 and 2024, and that absolute methane emissions from oil and gas production fell by more than 60%.
Asked by: Olly Glover (Liberal Democrat - Didcot and Wantage)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what discussions his Department has had with Ofgem on selling energy generated by community-led renewable energy schemes directly to the community.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Secretary of State previously commissioned Ofgem to explore some of the policy and regulatory barriers to local supply. The Department is working closely with Ofgem, Great British Energy and other key stakeholders to determine how best to support local generation being matched with local demand.
The energy industry has also been working to make changes to industry rules to support the local trade of energy, including code modifications to the Balancing and Settlement Code, P442, and standardising the classification of local energy sites, P441. Further updates and outcomes from this work will be provided in due course.
Asked by: Olly Glover (Liberal Democrat - Didcot and Wantage)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to help accommodate excess domestic renewable power within local power networks.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government is working to accelerate network infrastructure build, which will reduce constraints on the network by allowing low-cost renewables onto the system more quickly.
We are also taking steps outlined in the Clean Power 2030 Action Plan to support deployment of electricity storage technologies, including domestic and grid-scale batteries, which allow excess renewable generation to be saved up for when the system most needs it.
Asked by: Olly Glover (Liberal Democrat - Didcot and Wantage)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the report by National Infrastructure Commission entitled Electricity distribution networks: creating capacity for the future, published on 21 February 2025.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The government welcomes the overall thrust of the National Infrastructure Commission’s study and its focus on supporting strategic investment in the distribution network. We are reviewing the detail of the study with our key delivery partners and will publish a response to the individual recommendations this spring. This will include how current policy work is addressing the recommendations and how we will build on this in the future.
Asked by: Olly Glover (Liberal Democrat - Didcot and Wantage)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to tackle the proportion of people who die in fuel poverty in South Oxfordshire constituency.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero
The Government is committed to a preventative approach to public health. Keeping people warm and well at home and improving the quality of new and existing homes will play an essential part in enabling people to live longer and healthier lives.
The Government is reviewing the 2021 fuel poverty strategy for England, and has kickstarted delivery of the Warm Homes Plan, including an initial £1.8 billion to support fuel poverty schemes over the next 3 years.
Multiple energy efficiency schemes support fuel poor households. The Warm Home Discount provides bill support to eligible low-income households.