Energy Security and Net Zero Bill - Clause on Energy Independence and Resilience

Asked if the Secretary of State would provide a meeting with the Bill Minister to discuss constituency case for hydroelectricity and barriers to community energy generators selling to customers.

Agreed that Britain needs more domestic energy independence but questioned why the Bill proposed a significant increase in imported energy through interconnectors, which he believed would make the UK more dependent and vulnerable.

Celebrated Government's decision to move Teesside carbon capture project to next stage but questioned delay in planning permission, expressing concern about its impact on the project.

Highlighted an example from Wales of a new mixed housing development that includes ground source heat pumps, photovoltaics, electric vehicle chargers, sustainable materials, insulation to reduce costs for consumers now and contribute to net zero.

Welcomed the Bill's key objectives but asked if the Government would support amendments in the other place, particularly one relating to a net zero duty for Ofgem.

Questioned the cost of nuclear projects like Hinkley Point C and Sizewell C, noting that clean-up for nuclear radioactive waste is in the order of £230 billion.

Expressed concern about a hydrogen levy on household bills and questioned the use of hydrogen for home heating, citing inefficiency, expense, and safety risks. She asked if funding could be provided elsewhere.

Stressed the importance of CCUS for his constituency and argued that Ofgem’s remit must be reshaped to bring it into an appropriate framework for net zero challenges.

Pressed the Secretary of State on the need for more electricity wires and proposed a new planning allowance to have cables going down the side of transport corridors such as motorways and train lines.

Suggested amendments to improve on loss of energy and heat and home energy efficiency, particularly for poorly insulated homes which are expensive to heat at a time of rising cost of living.

Asked if the Government would continue to expect strong public support before agreeing to proceed with hydrogen trials, emphasising consent for such projects.

Questioned the clause allowing companies to disconnect people from gas grids for hydrogen trials, arguing it was against doing so by consent.

Asked for assurance that there would be a home-grown UK sustainable aviation fuel industry to support domestic production rather than importing from overseas.

Raised concerns among refiners about the breadth of provisions in the Bill and powers of direction over companies, asking for a commitment to look at phrasing of those provisions in Committee.

Concerned about China's dominance in renewable materials processing, questioning whether renewables could create similar energy security issues as fossil fuels had with Russia. Sought an assessment of this risk.

Questioned the Secretary of State about funding for energy efficiency, citing the fuel poverty crisis in Oldham where household bills have significantly increased. Advocated for a windfall tax on energy producers to fund such measures.

Ordering the House about intervention protocols, implying support for maintaining order and structure during debates.

Complimented the Bill’s importance and called on the Secretary of State to commit to reducing political intervention in energy investments, advocating for regulatory certainty.

Asked about addressing skills gaps in renewable and adjacent energies, stressing the importance of job transferability from oil and gas to new energy sectors.

Pressed for assurances that a domestic nuclear industry would be encouraged without isolationist policies, drawing parallels with previous Labour Government mistakes in selling off the nuclear industry.

Inquired about the logic behind not supporting a ban on new coalmines, suggesting that such support aligns with decarbonisation goals.

Criticised the Bill for mixed messaging regarding oil and gas licensing while not ensuring renewable projects connect to the grid, advocating learning from Welsh Government’s Arbed project.

Asked for clarity on the Independent System Operator and Planner's relationship with Ofgem, seeking to understand how political directives will be managed in relation to regulatory oversight.

Sought an intervention from the Secretary of State but was not given time for a full contribution.

Intervened to challenge Ed Miliband on the number of Labour Energy Ministers between 1997 and 2010, questioning the effectiveness of those ministers in promoting nuclear projects.

Asked why the last Labour Government sold off Westinghouse, arguing that this decision negatively impacted Britain's nuclear skills base.

Requested to speak but no specific arguments or contributions are recorded in the given text.

Questioned the necessity of relying solely on renewable energy sources, citing the International Energy Authority's projection that fossil fuels will still be a significant part of the energy mix by 2045. Emphasised the importance of improving domestic gas production to ensure energy security.

He supports the Energy Bill as a vital step towards energy security and resilience, emphasising the need for a clear vision to achieve net zero Britain by 2050. He highlights the importance of reducing barriers to implementation and providing confidence to international investors. Dunne also welcomes the government's decision on nuclear fleet renewal and encourages clarity in future decisions post-design competition. He discusses the inefficiency of grid connections, noting that connecting an onshore solar farm takes 13 years due to planning processes, and calls for a balance between community engagement and swift action.

Mr. Brown supports amendments to prevent new coal mines, ensure Ofgem's responsibilities include net zero targets, and promote community energy schemes. He criticises the cost and lack of progress in small modular reactors, nuclear power's rising costs, and the current grid capacity issues penalising Scottish sites. Concerned about hydrogen production costs and forced disconnections for trials. Also highlights the need to strengthen minimum energy efficiency standards.

Intervenes to express concern that there was no mention of strengthening minimum energy efficiency standards in the Bill, while powers are included for removing European performance of buildings regulations.

Benn supports the Energy Bill, stressing its importance in achieving energy security for a net zero future. He discusses the complexity of transitioning home heating systems from gas to renewable alternatives such as heat pumps and hydrogen, advocating for a mix of technologies tailored to specific needs and locations. Benn highlights practical issues with current proposals and urges for rapid clarification on local implementation plans. Additionally, he raises concerns about affordability and fairness in the transition process.

He supports the bill as it is but highlights areas for improvement such as expanding gas storage and refining capacity, improving grid investment speed, updating EPC standards, and clarifying ISOP's role to ensure government strategic intentions are clear.

She welcomes the bill but criticises its lack of clarity on lifting the ban on onshore wind in England, calls for investment certainty and cheap energy prices for industries to remain competitive, urges addressing high standing charges, closing tax loopholes for oil companies, and resolving grid capacity issues.

The right hon. Member highlights that hydrotreated vegetable oil can offer a significant reduction in carbon emissions while being more cost-effective than current alternatives such as air source heat pumps. He cites a pilot project showing lower fuel usage and better compatibility with older buildings, suggesting an opportunity to extend the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) scheme to domestic boilers.

The hon. Member intervenes to express concern about the impact of banning gas boilers from 2024 on industries, particularly farming. He agrees with the right hon. Member's argument regarding the costs affecting rural households and farms under pressure.

The hon. Member discusses energy policy in Wales, focusing on the need for increased electricity transmission infrastructure capacity which affects rural areas adversely. He highlights a proposed overhead line project through the scenic Tywi valley and suggests undergrounding as an alternative to avoid visual impact. Additionally, he mentions changes to the boiler upgrade scheme affecting renewable heating system companies.

He argues against the hydrogen levy, citing concerns over energy dependence on China for critical materials. He suggests that focusing solely on electric vehicles may not be sustainable due to supply chain issues and proposes research into hydrogen combustion engines as an alternative.

Amesbury calls for a more robust response to the climate emergency but opposes the hydrogen levy, stating it adds to already high consumer bills and would be another subsidy for fossil fuels. He emphasises scientific evidence that does not support widespread use of hydrogen for domestic heating.

Chris Grayling supports the clause, arguing that legislating against particular technologies is not advisable. He suggests encouraging robust rules for building solar into new buildings but emphasises the need to remain technology-neutral in achieving net zero emissions. He highlights the importance of aviation industry transformation towards net zero and advocates for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production through municipal waste. Grayling calls for a contracts for difference scheme to support the development of SAF, stressing its economic benefits and the risk of losing these opportunities if delayed.

Ms Caroline Lucas argued that the UK must go further and faster on decarbonisation. She cited a UN report which suggests current fossil fuel production plans far exceed what is necessary to limit global warming to 1.5°C. She also addressed energy security, asserting that it should be based on renewables rather than oil, as most proposed projects are for oil with limited domestic use. Caroline urged the Government to conduct a review of the duty to maximise economic recovery of petroleum and move away from it. Furthermore, she advocated for community-led home insulation programmes and criticised nuclear power as expensive, slow, and irrelevant to decarbonisation targets.

Mr David Duguid intervened during Caroline Lucas's speech to question the practicality of moving away from maximising economic recovery of petroleum. He cited figures suggesting that UK dependency on domestic oil and gas sources is less than 50%, while also pointing out a Climate Change Committee assessment predicting slower domestic replacement rates compared to import reliance, implying any shift would increase import dependence without reducing overall usage.

Supports the Bill, particularly clauses related to fusion technology and lithium-ion battery storage facilities. Emphasises the need for regulatory changes in clause 110 to remove fusion from nuclear site licensing requirements. Raises concerns about fire safety risks associated with lithium-ion batteries, stating that current planning processes do not adequately address these risks.

Intervened to agree with Maria Miller’s points about the need for further research on where lithium-ion battery storage facilities are based, highlighting concerns over thermal runaway causing fires that take several days to extinguish.

Madders expresses scepticism about hydrogen in home heating, citing safety concerns, high costs, and limited public support. He questions the value of ongoing trials given increasing doubts from studies. The speaker also raises issues with proposed powers for gas network operators to enter properties forcibly.

Supports regulation of district heat networks due to reliability issues, high costs, customer dissatisfaction, lack of competition, and future-proofing concerns. Points out examples like New Mill Quarter estate in his constituency.

[INTERVENTION]: Supports the need for regulation of district heat networks and suggests declaring heat as a utility to help future-proofing against incineration reliance.

Critiques the Bill’s lack of ambition on energy transition, protection for consumers, and insufficient support for renewable projects due to grid capacity constraints. Urges for statutory net zero objectives for Ofgem and stronger provisions against new coal mines.

Supports carbon capture usage and storage for achieving net-zero emissions. Highlights that oil and gas is essential to meeting energy demands until 2050. Emphasises the high tax rate on oil and gas profits due to the energy profits levy, which raises significant revenue but concerns businesses’ ability to invest in decarbonisation. Advocates for a mechanism ensuring the tax rate applies only to profits from excessively high market prices. Proposes an effective decarbonisation investment allowance for essential expenditure towards net-zero ambitions. Welcomes Government funding for CCUS clusters and progress on Acorn project, calling for clear process for rolling out track 2 clusters.

Welcomed measures in the Bill aimed at providing a cleaner, more affordable and secure energy system. Concerned about short-term issues such as the potential 17% increase in energy bills this year which would impact many households already struggling due to high costs last winter. Highlighted that Citizens Advice Cymru has seen a sharp increase in people seeking debt advice relating to energy bills, with a 150% rise between February 2020 and February 2022. Emphasised the need for measures to support vulnerable households before next winter including additional funding through schemes like the alternative fuel payment. Suggested prioritising investment in energy efficiency measures and setting clearer pathways for improved energy efficiency standards for housing stock. Critiqued the slow roll-out of current ECO4 scheme, urging revisions to eligibility criteria and cost assumptions. Supported clauses 272 and 273 added to the Bill which could unlock potential of community energy schemes.

[INTERVENTION] Raised concerns about people on prepayment metres struggling to pay for energy and disappointment that nothing has yet been included in the Bill to protect them from self-disconnection.

The Bill will restore certainty on energy future by supporting green hydrogen blending trials, which can help decide its viability for decarbonising heating. It pushes forward by unlocking private investment and bringing jobs through a thriving hydrogen economy. Although there are concerns about cost, Stafford argues that spending now means savings later. He also calls on the Government to legislate further and widen clauses to include all low-carbon energy suppliers.

Welcomes the Bill's progress but feels it lacks ambition. It supports carbon capture and storage, which is crucial for achieving net zero. Cunningham highlights the importance of timely passage for maintaining industry confidence after false dawns in support from Government. He also calls for a clean energy sprint and raises concerns about the ban on onshore wind, lack of 'green plumbing' measures, and failure to address insulation needs for homes below EPC band C.

Supports clauses 272 and 273 for their pro-competition and pro-consumer benefits, enabling community energy schemes to sell electricity locally. Expresses concern over the ban on oil-fired boilers and lack of practical alternatives like heat pumps for rural off-grid households. Advocates for biofuels as a cost-effective alternative to expensive retrofits.

Welcomes the Energy Bill's role in promoting investment and enhancing energy security through home-grown power. Urges the Government to retain clauses 272 and 273, which would remove obstacles for community energy schemes, making local communities part of the solution by participating in benefits from renewable energy projects.

Ms Saxby supports clauses 272 and 273, which enable community groups to sell electricity locally. She argues that these measures are essential for reducing energy dependency on imports and increasing domestic resilience. Ms Saxby also mentions the potential of renewable fuels such as hydrotreated vegetable oil in boilers for off-gas grid properties.

Mr Johnston supports the Local Electricity Bill, which has backing from 318 MPs and numerous councils. He highlights the potential of community energy to power millions of homes and its importance for his constituency's businesses in science and technology. Mr Johnston urges the Minister to work with supporters to find a mechanism that enables community energy to flourish.

MP Duncan Baker highlights the strategic importance of Bacton gas terminal in North Norfolk, which supplies up to one-third of UK’s gas supply and has significant potential for hydrogen production. He emphasises that a £1.3 billion project by Hydrogen East aims to transform Bacton into a hydrogen hub, capable of powering London and the south-east with long-lasting impacts on energy security and environmental sustainability. Duncan Baker also points out that transitioning to hydrogen could deliver 25% of what is needed to reach net zero emissions, generate up to £11 billion in private investment, and create over 12,000 new jobs by 2030.

Acknowledges the necessity of the Bill but argues that it is insufficient in several areas such as onshore wind, Ofgem’s remit, community energy, and new infrastructure support. Supports conditional assistance to improve the Bill's robustness.

Mr. Andrew Bowie addressed various points raised during the debate, including grid investment, independent system operator roles, hydrogen village trials, forced disconnections, onshore wind issues, renewable liquid heating fuel, lithium-ion battery storage development, sustainable aviation fuel, the hydrogen levy, and community energy schemes. He assured that all consumers will have the right to refuse trialling hydrogen and that gas distribution networks would only use their extended powers of entry as a last resort.

Mr. Henry Smith intervened to seek assurance regarding the five sustainable aviation fuel plants previously announced, emphasising the need for timely implementation to ensure the UK remains at the forefront of the SAF industry.