Renewable Energy 2025-07-15
2025-07-15
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Response quality
Questions & Answers
Q1
Partial Answer
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Context
Over 50% of the UK's food and £2.7 billion in lifesaving medicines depend on cold chain logistics, facing soaring energy costs and grid instability. Sunswap in Epsom and Ewell is pioneering solar-powered refrigeration to cut emissions while ensuring supply chain resilience.
Over 50% of our food and £2.7 billion in lifesaving medicines depend on the cold chain, but operators face soaring energy costs and growing grid instability. In Epsom and Ewell, Sunswap is pioneering battery and solar-powered refrigeration, which cuts emissions while protecting vital supply chains. Will the Minister commit to targeted support for renewable energy innovators like Sunswap, whose technology can strengthen both sustainability and national resilience?
The hon. Lady is right that we have an enormous amount of innovation in this space and real potential to meet our future needs, not just as a result of the pathway that we have outlined, but through innovative solutions like the one she mentioned, which provide specific support to targeted industries. I am happy to look further into her proposals, and at the funding available for innovation. If she wants to write to me with any details, I will happily follow up.
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Assessment & feedback
Did not commit to specific funding or detailed action but offered to review proposals.
Response accuracy
Q2
Direct Answer
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Context
A business in Fradley, Lichfield is planning to install millions of watts of solar on its roof. However, due to insufficient export capacity at the site, the project cannot proceed despite meeting only a fraction of its energy needs.
A business in the village of Fradley in my constituency has a plan to put millions of watts of solar on the roof of its businesses. Unfortunately, it cannot proceed with that application, because there is not sufficient export capacity on the site. It would never export a watt of that electricity, which would meet only a fraction of its energy needs. Will the Minister meet me, so that we can discuss how we can make regulatory changes to support projects like this one?
My hon. Friend makes a point that others have raised. We are looking in granular detail at how the system works to ensure that the regulatory landscape allows such opportunities to be taken. I am very happy to meet him to discuss this further. We are taking a detailed look at every single aspect of the system, so that communities, businesses and others can benefit from being able to export power to the grid. That will help the country with its energy needs and deliver a benefit for local communities.
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Assessment & feedback
Response accuracy