Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Grid Decarbonisation: Cost

Tuesday 16 April 2024 · 5 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Philip Dunne asked about the cost of decarbonising the grid by 2030 and 2035, to which the Minister responded that the plans are ambitious but achievable and have been assessed as realistic by the Climate Change Committee.
  • Louie French questioned whether Labour's plans to achieve a net zero grid by 2030 are unaffordable and unrealistic, giving British supply chains insufficient time to grow. The Minister agreed and highlighted the need for time to develop domestic supply chains.
  • Barry Gardiner challenged the Secretary of State on the cost of decarbonisation by 2030, noting that the Government's own policy aims for 95% decarbonisation by the same date. The Minister dismissed this, stating that Labour's plans have been criticised by industry experts and are not considered realistic.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Philip Dunne Con
Climate
Context

The question arises from the need to estimate costs for decarbonising the UK's energy grid.

Question

What recent estimate she has made of the cost of decarbonising the grid by (a) 2030 and (b) 2035?

Answer from Claire Coutinho

Our plans to decarbonise the grid by 2035 are ambitious but achievable, and have been assessed as realistic by the Climate Change Committee. They will build on the UK's achievement in becoming the first major economy to have halved emissions. According to independent analysis, securing a net zero grid by 2030 would cost taxpayers £116 billion.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer does not provide a detailed estimate for decarbonising the grid by 2035 but focuses mainly on the costs and feasibility of achieving net-zero by 2030.

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Q2 Louie French Con Old Bexley and Sidcup
Climate Energy
Context

The question addresses the government's support for British companies through initiatives like Giga, which has received over £1 billion in funding.

Question

Does my right hon. Friend agree that Labour's unaffordable and unrealistic plans to achieve a net zero grid by 2030 will not give British supply chains time to grow?

Answer from Claire Coutinho

I completely agree with my hon. Friend. Only recently, we have seen European countries having to wean themselves off Russian oil and gas. We cannot do that, only to become dependent on other parts of the world for our energy needs. Our plan will give British supply chains time to develop.

Answered
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Q3 Philip Dunne Con
Climate
Context

The question focuses on the feasibility and cost implications of achieving full grid decarbonisation by 2035.

Question

What does my right hon. Friend make of the feasibility, let alone the cost that she has highlighted today, of the fantasy pipe dream of official Labour party policy to decarbonise by 2030?

Answer from Claire Coutinho

I thank my right hon. Friend for his question. The plans that we have set out represent the largest expansion of nuclear in 70 years, with radical reforms to the grid. However, it does take time to build things. Labour's 2030 policy is mad, bad and downright dangerous.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer criticises Labour's plans without providing a detailed assessment of feasibility or costs.

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Q4 Barry Gardiner Lab Brent West
Climate Energy
Context

The question questions the Secretary of State's claim about the cost implications of Labour's plan to achieve full grid decarbonisation by 2030.

Question

If grid decarbon-isation by 2030 really did cost the billions of pounds that the Secretary of State claims, she might care to explain why her own policy is to achieve 95% of full decarbonisation by the very same date?

Answer from Claire Coutinho

I would completely reject that, based on the many conversations that I have had with industry and experts. The plans that we have set out have been assessed by the Climate Change Committee as being realistic. The plans that the Labour party has set out have been criticised by pretty much every single part of the energy system.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer does not provide a detailed assessment but rather relies on criticism and general statements about realism.

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Q5 Olivia Blake Lab Sheffield Hallam
Climate
Context

The question addresses the delay in publishing a promised decarbonisation plan and challenges the government's progress on delivering clean power.

Question

Last year, the Government promised that they would publish their decarbonisation plan by the end of 2023, but they have failed to do so. Is that because the Secretary of State is too embarrassed to admit the truth?

Answer from Claire Coutinho

I thank the hon. Lady, but that is an extraordinary question. There would be much more credibility from the Labour party if it would recognise that the UK is the first country in the G20—the 20 largest economies—to halve emissions. While Labour Members might play politics with this issue, I am absolutely happy to defend our position on dealing with our climate change obligations in a pragmatic way.

Not addressed: The answer does not address the delays or progress but shifts focus to past achievements and political considerations.

How: Playing Politics

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