The Government recognises the valuable role that community and locally owned renewable energy projects can play in reaching our net zero targets. Community energy groups can act as catalysts for raising awareness and promoting behaviour change, both of which are vital if we are to achieve our 2050 goals.<\/p>
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BEIS is funding the Rural Community Energy Fund (RCEF) a £10 million programme, delivered through the 5 Local Energy Hubs in England in the North East (Yorkshire & Humber), the North West, the Midlands, Greater South East, and the South West.<\/p>
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This scheme supports rural communities in England to develop renewable energy projects, explicitly to provide economic and social benefits back to the community. Over 90 communities have received support so far.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4531", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Anne-Marie Trevelyan"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Berwick-upon-Tweed"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Anne-Marie Trevelyan"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2021-04-29", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2021-04-29T09:27:43.957Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "201"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2021-04-22", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Renewable Energy: Finance"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what cost benefit assessment his Department has made on the potential merits of increasing support to community energy projects to (a) engage the public in the net zero transition and (b) deliver social and community benefits.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3930", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Caroline Lucas"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Brighton, Pavilion"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Caroline Lucas"} ], "uin" : "185847"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1310993", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1310993/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Renewable deployment has been a huge success in the UK and renewable generation has more than quadrupled since 2010, totalling 37% of electricity generation in 2019 (source: Digest of UK Energy Statistics 2020). Our continued support has seen the cost of renewable technologies fall \u2013 the cost of offshore wind, for example, has fallen by more than two thirds since 2015.<\/p>
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The Government has committed up to £557 million for future Contracts for Difference auctions, with the next allocation round due to take place later this year. We continue to evolve the Contracts for Difference scheme and have recently engaged with industry through a call for evidence, looking at how to balance enabling deployment with minimising system costs and, therefore, costs to consumers. This will be used to inform the design of future allocation rounds.<\/p>
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The costs incurred by renewable energy projects when connecting to the grid are a matter for Ofgem, as the independent regulator. As part of its Access and Forward-Looking Charges Review, Ofgem is considering some relevant aspects of grid charges, and it plans to consult on reform proposals in 2021.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4531", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Anne-Marie Trevelyan"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Berwick-upon-Tweed"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Anne-Marie Trevelyan"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2021-04-29", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2021-04-29T10:43:40.887Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "201"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2021-04-21", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Renewable Energy: Finance"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how the Government plans to support the uptake of renewable energy projects while also stabilising their costs on the grid; and if he will make a statement.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4470", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Alan Brown"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Kilmarnock and Loudoun"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Alan Brown"} ], "uin" : "185430"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1258460", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Treasury"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1258460/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) published a consultation on the introduction of more stringent supply chain plan requirements, including a consequence for the non-delivery of Supply Chain Plan commitments, on 24 November. This consultation will close on 18 January 2021.<\/p>
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BEIS intend to consult separately on the proposed Supply Chain Plan Questionnaire in early 2021.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3991", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Jesse Norman"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Hereford and South Herefordshire"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Jesse Norman"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2020-12-09", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2020-12-09T10:49:37.933Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "14"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Treasury"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Treasury"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2020-12-04", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Renewable Energy: Finance"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to his Department's policy paper, National Infrastructure Strategy, published on 25 November 2020, when he plans to consult on the introduction of more stringent supply chain plan requirements in the Contract for Difference process.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4000", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Ian Mearns"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Gateshead"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Ian Mearns"} ], "uin" : "125225"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1243488", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1243488/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Subsidies for generating electricity from wind and solar PV are paid under three low carbon electricity schemes: the Renewables Obligation (RO), the Feed-in Tariffs (FIT), and Contracts for Difference (CfD) schemes. The Renewables Obligation does not pay a direct subsidy but instead support is provided through tradeable certificates.<\/p>
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The table below provides a breakdown of payments made to wind and solar PV electricity generators under the RO and CfD schemes in the last three financial years where figures are available[1].<\/p>
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The figures in the tables below refer to Great Britain only. CfD and FIT are not available in Northern Ireland.<\/p>
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Table 1: Breakdown of payments made to offshore wind, onshore wind and solar PV electricity generators by low carbon electricity support scheme:<\/strong><\/p> <\/p> <\/p><\/td> Scheme<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 2017-18<\/strong> (£m)<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 2018-19<\/strong> (£m)<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 2019-20<\/strong>[2] (£m)<\/strong><\/p><\/td><\/tr> Offshore wind<\/p><\/td> RO2 [3]<\/p><\/td> 2,009<\/p><\/td> 2,221<\/p><\/td> 2,212<\/p><\/td><\/tr> CfD[4]<\/p><\/td> 295.8<\/p><\/td> 587.6<\/p><\/td> 1,275.9<\/p><\/td><\/tr> Onshore wind<\/p><\/td> RO2<\/p><\/td> 1,256<\/p><\/td> 1,335<\/p><\/td> 1,271<\/p><\/td><\/tr> CfD4<\/p><\/td> 0.0<\/p><\/td> 11.3<\/p><\/td> 88.7<\/p><\/td><\/tr> Solar PV<\/p><\/td> RO2<\/p><\/td> 471<\/p><\/td> 549<\/p><\/td> 460<\/p><\/td><\/tr> CfD4<\/p><\/td> 0.8<\/p><\/td> 0.8<\/p><\/td> 1.4<\/p><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table> <\/p> In addition, the following amounts have been spent in total on FITs. The breakdown for wind and solar PV is not available but solar PV accounts for around 79% of total FIT capacity and onshore wind accounts for around 14%[5].<\/p> <\/p>