Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent assessment his Department has made of the reliability of biomass as a method of producing electricity.
Answered by Graham Stuart
Sustainable biomass can be used to produce renewable and low-carbon electricity and has numerous system benefits from dispatchability to inertia, stable established supply chains and prices, providing energy security within a net zero consistent energy system.
The sun does not always shine and the wind does not always blow. Biomass helps to balance the energy grid when this is the case.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the proposed hydrogen levies contained in the Energy Bill on consumers' fuel bills.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The precise impact of a hydrogen levy on consumer bills will depend on future policy design choices and uncertain market conditions. This means there is currently uncertainty regarding possible consumer bill impacts. The provisions in the Energy Security Bill would not immediately introduce this levy; they would only enable Government to introduce the levy later, through secondary legislation. It is the Government’s intention to publish an impact assessment alongside the draft first set of any future regulations that would establish the levy. Decisions regarding future funding are ongoing and will take into account wider government priorities and policies – including considerations related to the affordability of energy bills.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact on consumers' fuel bills impact of the proposals on hydrogen levies contained in the Energy Bill.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The precise impact of a hydrogen levy on consumer bills will depend on future policy design choices and uncertain market conditions. This means there is currently uncertainty regarding possible consumer bill impacts. The provisions in the Energy Security Bill would not immediately introduce this levy; they would only enable Government to introduce the levy later, through secondary legislation. It is the Government’s intention to publish an impact assessment alongside the draft first set of any future regulations that would establish the levy. Decisions regarding future funding are ongoing and will take into account wider government priorities and policies – including considerations related to the affordability of energy bills.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
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 his remarks in the House on 22 September 2022 on to the potential use of hydrogen for domestic heating, if his Department will publish an assessment of the potential (a) costs and (b) disruption that consumers would experience if hydrogen were used for that purpose.
Answered by Graham Stuart
Using 100% hydrogen for domestic heating is not yet an established technology. The Government, working with industry, is undertaking further work to assess the technical feasibility, costs, benefits and other impacts of using hydrogen, relative to other heat decarbonisation technologies. This will enable decisions in 2026 on the role of low carbon hydrogen in heating.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent assessment his Department has made of the (a) health and (b) air quality impacts of nitrogen oxide emissions generated by the burning of hydrogen in (i) boilers and (ii) other domestic appliances.
Answered by Graham Stuart
Using 100% hydrogen for domestic heating is not yet an established technology. The Government, working with industry, is undertaking further work to assess the technical feasibility, costs, benefits and other impacts of using hydrogen, relative to other heat decarbonisation technologies. This will enable decisions in 2026 on the role of low carbon hydrogen in heating.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, (a) what recent estimate his Department has made of the potential additional costs to consumers if hydrogen is used for domestic heating and (b) what recent assessment he has made of the suitability of hydrogen as a fuel for domestic heating.
Answered by Graham Stuart
Using 100% hydrogen for domestic heating is not yet an established technology. The Government, working with industry, is undertaking further work to assess the technical feasibility, costs, benefits and other impacts of using hydrogen, relative to other heat decarbonisation technologies. This will enable decisions in 2026 on the role of low carbon hydrogen in heating.