Written questions by Bowie.

When the Community Benefits Package will be published.

Through the Clean Power Action Plan, we have made clear that where communities host clean energy infrastructure, we will ensure they benefit from it. There are many options in this area including community funds and direct support for households, which we are exploring. In the interim, the Government intends to publish guidance on community benefits for onshore wind in England and guidance on community funds for electricity transmission network infrastructure by spring 2025. Additionally, Solar Energy UK has committed to publishing a community benefits protocol and guidance in due course.

When the first board meeting of GB Energy will take place; and where it will take place.

Arrangements for Great British Energy’s first board meeting are currently being made. The meeting will take place at the company’s headquarters in Aberdeen.

What the UK’s gas storage levels were in each month since July 2024.

The system operator National Gas monitors gas storage stock levels. They publish storage stock level data on their website, it can be found here: https://data.nationalgas.com/.

What information (a) his Department and (b) the National Energy System Operator holds on the number of number of generation assets that provided (i) spare margin and (ii) reserve for peak electricity demand on any day where a Capacity Market Notice was issued in the last 12 months.

The National Energy System Operator (NESO) holds information required to balance the electricity network and are responsible for all operational actions required to maintain their electricity margin. Further information is available on the Elexon and NESO websites. As published in their winter outlook, NESO expect that supply margins will be adequate this winter, meaning that there is expected to be sufficient capacity to meet peak winter demand. The Department of Energy Security and Net Zero has no role in these operational decisions but remains in close contact with NESO during periods of tight margins, like on Wednesday 8 January.

If he will make an estimate of the number of gas boilers installed each year by (a) local authority and (b) constituency.

The government does not hold this data. DESNZ publishes yearly data on the number of properties connected to the gas network, including by local authority. This data can be accessed using this link: Subnational estimates of properties not connected to the gas network - GOV.UK. The number of gas boilers installed each year, either in new buildings or to replace existing boilers, will typically be higher in local authorities and constituencies with a higher number of gas network connections.

What the cost was of operating gas power plants through the Balancing Mechanism in each month since July 2024.

The National Energy System Operator (NESO) is responsible for managing network constraints, including through the Balancing Mechanism.

What steps his Department is taking to increase the UK’s gas storage capacity.

The diversity of Great Britain’s sources of gas supply means we are less reliant on natural gas storage than European counterparts. The Government recognises the value in having natural gas storage facilities in place as a source of balancing system flexibility when demand for gas is high and allowing for the future storage of hydrogen. Energy security remains a key priority and the government will continue to work with storage operators to explore options around the role storage can play in supporting future gas system resilience.

Whether his Department is taking steps to increase the number of interconnectors with other countries.

The Clean Power 2030 Action Plan outlines our approach to delivering a clean electricity system, including our approach to electricity interconnectors. It expects 12-14GW of electricity interconnection by 2030, up from the 9.8GW currently installed. Under the UK-EU reset we are working with the EU to identify areas (such as electricity interconnection) where we can strengthen cooperation for mutual benefit. Interconnector development is a developer-led process in GB. Projects are given regulatory approval through Ofgem, a process that is undertaken independent of Government in line with Ofgem’s role as Great Britain’s independent regulator.

What the estimated cost was of curtailment payments to wind generators in each month since July 2024.

The National Energy System Operator (NESO) is responsible for managing network constraints and publishes daily constraint costs here: Constraint Breakdown Costs and Volume | National Energy System Operator. Data are not available on the split of costs between different types of generators. As set out in our Clean Power 2030 Action Plan, Government is working to accelerate the build of electricity network infrastructure to increase capacity, reduce constraints and enable a cheaper and secure energy system for Britain.

What estimate his Department has made of the quantity in GWh of electricity imports there will be in each year until 2035.

Annex O of the Energy and Emission Projections presents Net Zero consistent scenarios for the power sector, including annual net imports. [1] (Gross imports and exports are not published). These scenarios indicate that the GB power sector will shift from being a net importer of electricity to a net exporter between 2030 and 2035. [1] https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6463addee140700013b6e048/annex-o-annex-j-all-power-producer-generation.ods

What estimate he has made of future heat pump uptake in each year to 2035.

Heat pump uptake is growing rapidly: in the year to September 2024, 38,305 heat pumps installed in the UK were supported by Department for Energy Security and Net Zero schemes, a 46% increase over the preceding 12 months. The Government is taking steps to maintain this growth through delivery of the Warm Homes Plan, including a near doubling of the Boiler Upgrade Scheme budget to £295 million in 2025/26. Further details of our plan for building uptake over the coming years will be set out in detail in due course as part of the full Warm Homes Plan strategy.

What the estimated cost of energy imports was in each month since July 2024.

The Department does not hold data on monthly energy import costs. Annual energy import costs up to 2023 are published in table G.2 of the Digest of UK Energy Statistics. Monthly import data are published by HMRC in the Overseas Trade Data tables.

What information his Department holds on when the GB Energy board will meet in Aberdeen.

Arrangements for Great British Energy’s first board meeting are currently being made. The meeting will take place at the company’s headquarters in Aberdeen.

Whether AI Growth Zones will allow data centres to be co-located with (a) nuclear and (b) gas power plants.

Future AI Growth Zones will be chosen taking into account the availability of generation and the need for a grid connection. For nuclear, we will be consulting on a new nuclear planning framework shortly. The proposed framework will empower new nuclear developers, including those interested in co-locating with data centres, to identify potential sites against a robust set of siting criteria on safety, environmental and socio-economic impacts.

What information (a) his Department and (b) the National Energy System Operator holds on the number of generation assets that provided (i) spare margin and (ii) reserve for peak electricity demand on Wednesday 8 January.

The National Energy System Operator (NESO) holds information required to balance the electricity network and are responsible for all operational actions required to maintain their electricity margin. Further information is available on the Elexon and NESO websites. As published in their winter outlook, NESO expect that supply margins will be adequate this winter, meaning that there is expected to be sufficient capacity to meet peak winter demand. The Department of Energy Security and Net Zero has no role in these operational decisions but remains in close contact with NESO during periods of tight margins, like on Wednesday 8 January.

What steps he is planning to take to ensure that Great British Energy will work in collaboration with (a) the National Wealth Fund and (b) Great British Nuclear.

Initially, while it is established, we expect Great British Energy’s (GBE) investment activity to be undertaken by the National Wealth Fund (NWF). This will enable GBE to invest quickly and draw on the NWF's experience and pipeline of projects. As GBE scales up, we will set out how the two institutions will collaborate and complement each other. Great British Nuclear (GBN) will remain an independent sister company to GBE. The Government is considering how GBE and GBN can work best together to ensure that the UK achieves energy security and clean power whilst securing thousands of skilled jobs.

Whether his Department is taking steps to extend the operation of existing nuclear power plants beyond 2030.

EDF have recently announced extensions to the Advance Gas-cooled Reactor nuclear power stations. Heysham 1 and Hartlepool are now expected to operate until March 2027 and Heysham 2 and Torness are now expected to operate until March 2030. Sizewell B is currently scheduled to operate until 2035. The Government is not involved in the decision-making process to extend the operating lifetime of nuclear power stations. The recent decisions to extend the Advance Gas-cooled Reactor fleet have been taken by EDF based on safety and commercial assessments. As set out in our Clean Power 2030 Action Plan, nuclear will continue to play a key role in the energy system out to 2030 and beyond with the operation of Sizewell B and delivery of Hinkley Point C.

What progress he has made on the Green Industries Growth Accelerator programme.

The Government recognises the need for strong, home-grown clean energy supply chains to support sustainable jobs and secure growth as we decarbonise our economy. As part of the of next year’s Industrial Strategy, the Government is developing plans, aligned with the multi-year Spending Review, for each of the key growth sectors, which include Clean Energy technologies. These sector plans will set out how Government and industry intend to achieve long-term growth through bespoke arrangements for each sector.

What steps his Department is taking to construct grid connections for North Lincolnshire Energy Park.

Northern Powergrid (NPg) and National Grid Electricity Transmission are responsible for the construction of the connections. I understand from NPg that the connection infrastructure is expected to be completed in 2027. Energisation dates will be specific to each customer in the energy park.

What estimate his Department has made of the requirement for imported Liquified Natural Gas in each year between 2025 and 2030.

We expect UK gas demand to continue declining as we make Britain a clean energy superpower and accelerate to net zero. While the Department routinely assesses a range of factors that could impact future energy security, we do not hold departmental estimates on required volumes of imported LNG between 2025 and 2030.