Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Clean Power by 2030

Tuesday 4 February 2025 · 3 questions

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Peter Prinsley questioned the importance of energy projects in East Anglia for generating clean and affordable power, including wind, solar, and nuclear projects like Sizewell C.
  • Sir Roger Gale inquired about the environmental justification for subsidizing the burning of Canadian wood in the Drax power station and asked if the Secretary of State had reviewed the KPMG report.
  • Catherine Atkinson highlighted a community energy project in Derby involving a 100 kW Archimedes screw on the River Derwent, emphasizing the role of smaller-scale projects in achieving clean energy goals.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Peter Prinsley Lab Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket
Climate Energy
Context

Projects in East Anglia, including wind farms, solar farms, and nuclear power stations like Sizewell C, are crucial for generating clean, cheap power. These projects require infrastructure to connect them to the grid.

Question

Energy projects in East Anglia will be crucial for generating the clean, cheap power that this country needs to grow, from wind and solar farms to nuclear power stations, including the much-needed Sizewell C. These projects will bring high-skilled jobs to East Anglia, including in my constituency of Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket. What action are the Government taking to ensure that the infrastructure improvements to connect these projects to the grid will not be hamstrung by the planning process?

Answer from The Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero (Ed Miliband)

I thank my hon. Friend for his question and congratulate him on his advocacy. Members across the House have a decision to make here. As the Under-Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, my hon. Friend the Member for Peckham (Miatta Fahnbulleh), said earlier, we are exposed to fossil fuels and we see what is happening in global markets with prices going up. If we want to change that and have clean home-grown power that we can control, we have to build the infrastructure we need. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket (Peter Prinsley) on supporting it and on supporting our planning reforms, and I urge Members across this House to do the same.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Ed Miliband did not provide specific actions or timelines regarding infrastructure improvements for connecting energy projects to the grid. Instead, he praised his hon. Friend's support and urged other MPs to support planning reforms without detailing them.

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Q2 Roger Gale Con Herne Bay and Sandwich
Energy Environment
Context

The British taxpayer is paying billions of pounds in subsidies for biomass projects, raising questions about the environmental impact.

Question

Given that the British taxpayer is paying billions of pounds in subsidies to fell trees in Canada and ship the wood across the Atlantic to burn in the Drax power station, can the Secretary of State tell the House where the clean energy lies within that? Has he read the KPMG report? If he has, will he come to the House and make a statement on his assessment of it?

Answer from The Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero (Ed Miliband)

The last Government consulted on what, if any, future support there should be for biomass power stations. We are studying that consultation and we will make a statement in due course.

Partly answered

Not addressed: While Ed Miliband stated the government is reviewing the previous consultation on biomass subsidies, he did not address the specific question about the environmental impact or commit to making a statement based on the KPMG report.

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Q3 Catherine Atkinson Lab Derby North
Climate Energy
Context

Community energy projects like Darley Abbey Community Energy’s Archimedes screw hydroelectric project face hurdles such as planning permission, insurance costs, and capital requirements.

Question

Community energy projects can help us achieve clean energy by 2030. Darley Abbey Community Energy is surging ahead with plans for a 100 kW Archimedes screw on the River Derwent—the same river that powered the world’s first factory 200 years ago. The project could generate enough hydroelectricity to power all the businesses at Darley Abbey Mills, but there are hurdles in place, including planning permission, insurance costs and the need for up-front capital. What can the Government do to support local renewable community projects such as these to succeed?

Answer from The Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero (Ed Miliband)

My hon. Friend makes a fantastically important point, which is that we often think about planning reform as being about the large-scale projects, but it is also about unblocking the smaller-scale projects. Having a national energy policy statement that includes 2030, working with local authorities and making sure there are enough planners to make the decisions—all those things can all make a difference. I congratulate my hon. Friend on her advocacy for this work, and I congratulate the local community on this project.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Ed Miliband acknowledged the importance of supporting smaller-scale projects but did not provide specific actions or commitments to support such projects like those at Darley Abbey.

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