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63140

	registered interest
	date	23/06/2014
	answering body	Department for Energy and Climate Change
	answering dept id	63
	answering dept short name	Energy and Climate Change
	answering dept sort name	Energy and Climate Change
	hansard heading	Energy Supply
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what they are doing to ensure resilience of energy supply for the United Kingdom and its citizens.
	tabling member printed	Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
	uin	HL549
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/06/2014 answer text <p>The Government conducts regular assessments to identify risks to energy supply including through the National Risk Assessment and National Security Risk Assessment processes. Government works closely with the supply industry and other stakeholders to ensure there are appropriate mitigation measures in place to strengthen resilience and to protect against risks where it is possible and value for money to do so. For example, supplies of power, gas and fuel across the country were robust to the major flooding earlier this year (though power supplies to flooded properties must be disconnected for safety reasons).</p><p>Further, in the event of a situation which threatened to disrupt energy supplies to customers, Government and industry have robust plans in place to manage and respond to such events, which are exercised on a regular basis.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Verma question first answered 30/06/2014 12:49:09 answering member 3790 label Biography information for Baroness Verma
	tabling member	4282 label Biography information for Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

49529

	registered interest
	date	01/05/2014
	answering body	Department for Energy and Climate Change
	answering dept id	63
	answering dept short name	Energy and Climate Change
	answering dept sort name	Energy and Climate Change
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what recent assessment he has made of levels of public support for solar photovoltaic; and if he will make it his policy that there will be no changes to the level of support available for large-scale solar under the Renewable Obligation scheme until at least April 2015.
	tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
	tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
	uin	197578
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/05/2014 answer text <p>The latest results from the DECC Public Attitudes Tracking survey, published on 29 April 2014, show strong levels of public support for solar photovoltaic, with current support levels at 85%. In previous surveys solar PV has consistently scored 81% or above. However, these figures relate to support for solar PV in general, rather than any specific form of solar energy generation. In addition, the survey does not include any reference to large-scale or ground-based solar.</p><p> </p><p>The Government said in the UK Solar PV Strategy Part 2, published on 4 April 2014, that we are considering the implications of current trends of deployment in solar PV on the financial incentives available in Great Britain under the Renewables Obligation and small-scale Feed-in-Tariff. We will issue a public consultation shortly proposing changes to financial support for solar PV. The proposals on which we will be consulting are intended to take effect from the 2015/16 financial year.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bexhill and Battle answering member printed Gregory Barker question first answered 07/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1389 label Biography information for Lord Barker of Battle
	tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

77282

	registered interest
	date	10/07/2014
	answering body	Department for Energy and Climate Change
	answering dept id	63
	answering dept short name	Energy and Climate Change
	answering dept sort name	Energy and Climate Change
	hansard heading	Wind Power
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps are currently in place, and what steps they intend to take, to address health and safety issues associated with the use of wind turbines.
	tabling member printed	Lord Browne of Belmont
	uin	HL1016
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/07/2014 answer text <p>Wind generators, in the same way as all other industries, are covered by the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (HSWA). This requires them as duty holders to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of their employees and any members of the public who may be affected by their activities.</p><p>There are also well-established British and European standards covering product safety. The HSE performs appropriate regulatory checks on the operation and maintenance of wind turbines and also commissions research as needed. An HSE-commissioned report on risk assessment in the vicinity of wind turbines was published in 2013 and can be viewed online at:</p><p><a href="http://www.hse.gov.uk/research/rrpdf/rr968.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.hse.gov.uk/research/rrpdf/rr968.pdf</a>.</p><p>Offshore wind developers are working together, through the G9 group, to seek solutions to safety challenges to working offshore. More information can be found at:</p><p><a href="http://www.g9offshorewind.com/about-the-g9" target="_blank">http://www.g9offshorewind.com/about-the-g9</a>.</p> answering member printed Baroness Verma question first answered 22/07/2014 13:07:13 answering member 3790 label Biography information for Baroness Verma
	tabling member	3801 label Biography information for Lord Browne of Belmont

62786

	registered interest
	date	19/06/2014
	answering body	Department for Energy and Climate Change
	answering dept id	63
	answering dept short name	Energy and Climate Change
	answering dept sort name	Energy and Climate Change
	hansard heading	Energy: Prices
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Verma on 16 June (WA 23) on energy prices, how they reconcile the Department of Energy and Climate Change's estimate in paragraph 4.3, page 28 of its February consultation on the plans for the offtaker of last resort that "Backstop PPAs [will be] available to generators from early 2016" with the statement made to Parliament on 4 November 2013 at Report stage of the Energy Act 2013 that they intended "a scheme to be in place by the time the first CfDs are signed" in late 2014 (HL Deb, col 25); and whether concerns have been raised by independent generators about the distinction between having "a high degree of clarity about the arrangements for OLR" and "a scheme being in place".
	tabling member printed	Lord Berkeley
	uin	HL466
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/06/2014 answer text <p>We are on track to introduce enabling regulations to have the OLR mechanism in place ahead of the first CfD allocation in Autumn 2014. This will include a final version of the Backstop Power Purchase Agreement (BPPA) contract terms that generators will be entitled to. Generators will therefore have a high degree of clarity about the arrangements well in advance of the first auctions. We are shortly publishing a draft version of the BPPA contract terms this week to give generators further clarity on the terms they can expect.</p><p>Whilst the OLR will be in place, generators will not be able to access a Backstop PPA contract immediately, with BPPA contracts being available from April 2016 at the very latest. In light of the time taken to commission projects and the likelihood that a PPA falls away and cannot be replaced, the period between the legislation being in place and the first BPPA contract being available is unlikely to have significant impacts in practice. This process has been tested with stakeholders, including the Offtaker of Last Resort Advisory Group, and we continue to work with Ofgem to bring forward the date when the first BPPA contracts can be awarded.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Verma question first answered 30/06/2014 12:52:46 answering member 3790 label Biography information for Baroness Verma
	tabling member	3526 label Biography information for Lord Berkeley

62788

	registered interest
	date	19/06/2014
	answering body	Department for Energy and Climate Change
	answering dept id	63
	answering dept short name	Energy and Climate Change
	answering dept sort name	Energy and Climate Change
	hansard heading	Energy: Prices
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Verma on 16 June (WA 23–24) on energy prices, what evidence there is to suggest that smaller suppliers will be capable of developing a conditional Contracts for Difference (CfD) powerpurchase agreement (PPA) in time for the first CfD auctions in October 2014; and whether their reliance on the development of conditional PPAs to support the participation of independent generators is in line with the suggestion made by the Minister of State for Energy, Michael Fallon MP, on 4 December 2013 during the passage of the Energy Act 2013 that electricity market reform would "result in greater competition among PPA providers and support smaller suppliers, as generators will not have to rely on large incumbents with strong credit ratings to sell their power in the market" (HC Deb, col 970).
	tabling member printed	Lord Berkeley
	uin	HL468
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/06/2014 answer text <p>We anticipate that some generators will seek to establish the terms of any PPA and financing arrangements before they participate in the CfD allocation round, in order to understand better their likely costs. Such conditional PPAs could take a number of forms, from indicative terms to a signed contract.</p><p>In 2013, DECC officials established an industry Market Readiness group to prepare the market for offering CfD PPAs. There are now a number of PPA providers discussing terms with potential developers but these discussions are commercially sensitive.</p><p>The Offtaker of Last Resort will allow generators to develop their projects using shorter-term PPAs with smaller suppliers. We are on track to introduce enabling regulations to have the OLR mechanism in place ahead of the first CfD allocation in Autumn 2014.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Verma question first answered 26/06/2014 11:13:10 answering member 3790 label Biography information for Baroness Verma
	tabling member	3526 label Biography information for Lord Berkeley

62787

	registered interest
	date	19/06/2014
	answering body	Department for Energy and Climate Change
	answering dept id	63
	answering dept short name	Energy and Climate Change
	answering dept sort name	Energy and Climate Change
	hansard heading	Energy: Prices
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Verma on 16 June (WA 23–24) on energy prices, what assessment they have made of the time needed for suppliers to develop a conditional Contracts for Difference (CfD) powerpurchase agreement (PPA), for it to undergo an internal credit approval process, to be negotiated competitively with independent generators, and to be assessed by the generator's putative financiers before they can offer finance terms to independent generators; and what impact they consider that timeframe will have on conditional PPAs being agreed prior to the first allocation round of CfDs.
	tabling member printed	Lord Berkeley
	uin	HL467
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/06/2014 answer text <p>We anticipate that some generators will seek to establish the terms of any PPA and financing arrangements before they participate in the CfD allocation round, in order to understand better their likely costs. Agreements between generators and PPA providers could take a number of different forms, from indicative terms to a signed contract. The decision to sign a conditional PPA ahead of the auction, and the duration of any agreement, are ultimately commercial matters.</p><p>We anticipate that the Offtaker of Last Resort (OLR) will encourage competition in the PPA market both at the outset of the CfD and once any initial PPA has expired. Generators agreeing to a conditional PPA would be able to participate in the later short-term PPA market, once their initial PPA had expired; backed by the protections afforded by the OLR.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Verma question first answered 26/06/2014 11:11:51 answering member 3790 label Biography information for Baroness Verma
	tabling member	3526 label Biography information for Lord Berkeley

64610

	registered interest
	date	30/06/2014
	answering body	Department for Energy and Climate Change
	answering dept id	63
	answering dept short name	Energy and Climate Change
	answering dept sort name	Energy and Climate Change
	hansard heading	Fracking: Somerset
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government when hydraulic fracturing for natural gas begins in the north Somerset coal-field and the Mendip Hills; what safeguards will be enforced to prevent contamination of (1) the Bath hot springs, (2) the Cheddar Gorge caves and underground water-courses, and (3) all other local water supplies; and who will be responsible for such safeguards.
	tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
	uin	HL693
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/07/2014 answer text <p>There are no current proposals for hydraulic fracturing operations in the areas of Bath or the Cheddar Gorge.</p><p>Planning applications for onshore oil and gas development (including shale gas) must be subject to consultation with the local community and with relevant statutory consultation bodies such as the Environment Agency before the mineral planning authority takes a decision. Any decision must take account of all relevant planning issues. In this context, the National Planning Policy Framework states that, when considering the impact of a proposed development on the significance of a designated heritage asset, local planning authorities should give great weight to the asset's conservation.</p><p>The National Policy Framework also advises that any proposed development on land within or outside a Site of Special Scientific Interest, such as Cheddar Gorge, should not normally be permitted if it is likely to have an adverse effect on the Site (either individually or in combination with other developments).</p><p>I can also confirm that there are other regulatory controls which would need to be satisfied if any application for oil and gas development received planning permission. There are administered by the Environment Agency, the HSE and the Department. These controls will ensure that all prospective threats to the environment, or to safety, are effectively controlled. In particular, the Environment Agency will not permit any activity which might pose a threat to groundwater.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Verma question first answered 09/07/2014 16:34:44 answering member 3790 label Biography information for Baroness Verma
	tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

77300

	registered interest
	date	10/07/2014
	answering body	Department for Energy and Climate Change
	answering dept id	63
	answering dept short name	Energy and Climate Change
	answering dept sort name	Energy and Climate Change
	hansard heading	Satellites
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the potential value to knowledge of climate change and its impacts, of more accurate measurements of the Earth that could come from the proposed Traceable Radiometry Underpinning Terrestrial-and-Helio-Studies satellite mission.
	tabling member printed	Lord Smith of Finsbury
	uin	HL1034
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/07/2014 answer text <p>The possible benefits from the proposed Traceable Radiometry Underpinning Terrestrial-and-Helio-Studies (TRUTHS) satellite mission were the subject of a challenge workshop hosted in 2013 by the UK Centre for Earth Observation Instrumentation and Space Technology (CEOI-ST), which is funded by the UK Space Agency.</p><p>The outputs of the CEOI-ST investigation are currently being considered by the UK Space Agency.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Verma question first answered 22/07/2014 14:46:38 answering member 3790 label Biography information for Baroness Verma
	tabling member	186 label Biography information for Lord Smith of Finsbury

58568

	registered interest
	date	05/06/2014
	answering body	Department for Energy and Climate Change
	answering dept id	63
	answering dept short name	Energy and Climate Change
	answering dept sort name	Energy and Climate Change
	hansard heading	Energy: Prices
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect the first Contracts for Difference auction to take place; when they expect the Offtaker of Last Resort to be operational; whether those dates have changed from the dates given to Parliament during the passage of the Energy Act 2013; and if so, why.
	tabling member printed	Lord Berkeley
	uin	HL93
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/06/2014 answer text <p>The policy design of the Offtaker of Last Resort (OLR) is at an advanced stage, and the detail of the proposals has been recently consulted on. We are on track to deliver the final policy and introduce enabling regulations ahead of first allocation of Contracts for Difference (CfD) expected in October 2014, with regulations on schedule to be in place when the first CfDs are signed towards the end of 2014 or in early 2015. Consequently, CfD applicants will have a high degree of clarity about the arrangements for OLR, in advance of the first auctions. This is consistent with the commitments about the timing of the OLR given to Parliament during the passage of the Energy Act 2013.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Verma question first answered 16/06/2014 11:27:05 answering member 3790 label Biography information for Baroness Verma
	tabling member	3526 label Biography information for Lord Berkeley

58571

	registered interest
	date	05/06/2014
	answering body	Department for Energy and Climate Change
	answering dept id	63
	answering dept short name	Energy and Climate Change
	answering dept sort name	Energy and Climate Change
	hansard heading	Energy: Prices
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government when the consultation on the proposal to introduce Contracts forDifference auctioning was published; when the European Commission adopted the final state aid guidelines for environmental protection and energy for 2014–2020; and when the Government's response to the consultation was published.
	tabling member printed	Lord Berkeley
	uin	HL96
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/06/2014 answer text <p>The move to competitive allocation of Contracts for Difference has been a long-standing feature of Electricity Market Reform. In early 2014, the Government consulted on proposals to move straight to competitive allocation for some technologies. This consultation ran from 16 January 2014 to 12 February 2014; the Government's response was published on 13 May 2014.</p><p><br>EU Guidelines on State aid for environmental protection and energy 2014-2020 were adopted in principle on 9 April 2014. Prior to that adoption, the Commission worked with member states on the development of the guidelines, including draft versions and receiving comments.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Verma question first answered 16/06/2014 11:22:24 answering member 3790 label Biography information for Baroness Verma
	tabling member	3526 label Biography information for Lord Berkeley