Written questions by McMurdock.

What recent assessment he has made of the role of battery storage in reducing renewable curtailment.

Electricity storage has an important role to play in decarbonising the power sector by helping to balance the electricity system at lower cost. Electricity storage achieves this by charging when electricity is abundant and discharging when it is scarcer, thereby mitigating the need for grid reinforcement and reducing the curtailment of renewable generation. Efficient use of storage therefore offers opportunities for reducing constraint costs. The Government, the National Energy System Operator (NESO) and the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) are currently investigating options aimed at maximising the benefits of storage technologies in reducing system costs.

How often gas-fired power stations were used to replace curtailed renewable generation in 2025.

The Department does not hold the requested information. It is owned by NESO and published on the Elexon data portal.

What assessment he has made of whether curtailment payments create incentives to locate generation in areas with insufficient grid capacity.

The revenue that generators can make from curtailment payments is regulated by Ofgem through the Transmission Constraint Licence Condition. This regulation limits the revenue generators can make from being curtailed to the value of the revenue lost through not being able to generate plus reasonable costs. Ofgem can and does take enforcement action against generators that it believes are not complying with this regulation.The Strategic Spatial Energy Plan (SSEP) will optimise the siting of new sources of electricity generation across Great Britain. The Government’s Reformed National Pricing programme will have the SSEP at its heart, and reforms will be designed to ensure incentives for generation projects encourage siting and investment in areas that align with the SSEP.

What lessons his Department has learnt from other countries that have reduced curtailment while expanding renewables.

We use evidence from comparable countries to support our decision making and policy thinking on curtailment. Constraint payments are a natural part of operating an electricity system and are used in many countries such as Italy, Spain, Germany and Denmark. However, the current extent of grid constraints reflects years of underinvestment, with new network infrastructure development having lagged the expansion of new generation. We’re finally changing that, with the biggest upgrade to Great Britain’s electricity network in decades, which will minimise both curtailment and constraint costs, and help deliver clean power by 2030.

What recent estimate his Department has made of the proportion of curtailment costs borne by domestic consumers.

Data relating to curtailment caused by constraints including costs is provided in the National Energy System Operator (NESO) Annual Balancing Report at this link: neso.energy/document/362561/download. Constraint costs, as with other interventions taken by NESO to balance the electricity system, are recovered from consumers through Balancing Service Use of System Charges. Both domestic and non-domestic consumers pay these balancing costs, in proportion to their energy consumption. Although the most energy intensive industries receive additional support with these costs.The current extent of grid constraints reflects years of underinvestment, with new network infrastructure development having lagged the expansion of new generation. We are already taking action to reduce constraints with the biggest upgrade to Great Britain’s electricity network in decades.

What assessment he has made of the compatibility of his Clean Power 2030 target with current grid capacity constraints.

The Clean Power Action Plan set out the actions needed to deliver the Clean Power target, including the generation assets required and the network projects needed to transport homegrown power to homes and business across the country. This was based on advice from the National Energy System Operator that is informed by its analysis of current and expected future grid capacity constraints.

What steps he is taking to ensure that the expansion of renewable generation does not lead to higher electricity bills for consumers.

At a systems level, the prize of a renewables-based system, supported by nuclear and other technologies, is clear: it gets us off the fossil fuel rollercoaster, reducing our exposure as a country. The role of gas generation is already changing in GB’s electricity system and, as renewable deployment continues, its impact on the electricity price will reduce. Clean power 2030 will mean volatile gas sets the wholesale electricity price much less often than today.

What recent assessment he has made of the impact of curtailment payments on average household energy bills in 2025.

This information can be found in the NESO Annual Balancing Report, the next of which will be published later this year. The most recent NESO Annual Balancing Report was published in June 2025, covering the 2024/25 financial year, and can be found via this link: neso.energy/document/362561/download

What estimate his Department has made of curtailment costs to electricity billpayers in 2026.

Data on the aggregate impact of curtailment payments to electricity billpayers is calculated by the National Energy System Operator (NESO) and can be found in NESO Annual Balancing Report, the next of which will be published later this year. The most recent NESO Annual Balancing Report was published in June 2025, covering the 2024/25 financial year, and can be found via this link: neso.energy/document/362561/download

What the expected completion dates are for major new transmission projects intended to reduce renewable curtailment.

The Clean Power Advice to Government, published by the National Energy System Operator in 2024 set out the list of over 80 transmission projects needed to meet Clean Power 2030, and their required delivery dates. These projects will alleviate curtailment and allow more renewable power to serve homes and businesses across the country. Updates on the expected completion dates of these projects is a matter for the Transmission Owners which design, run and build the high voltage network.

What measures are in place to limit curtailment costs during the period before new grid infrastructure becomes operational.

The Government, the National Energy System Operator (NESO) and the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) are pursuing measures which will reduce constraint costs in the short term. These include making best use of the existing network, deploying smart grid technologies and taking measures to reduce the amount of time networks need to be out of service for essential new build and maintenance. NESO is also progressing other technical measures at pace via the Constraints Collaboration Project. We intend to announce further measures in the Reformed National Pricing (RNP) Deliver Plan which will be published shortly.

Pursuant to Answer of 27 January 2026 to Question 106906, how much funding has been allocated through the Worst Served Customers Allowance in each year of the RIIO-ED2 period.

The Worst Served Customer Allowance supports targeted reliability improvements for customers who experience persistently poor service. Over the RIIO‑ED2 period it totals £94 million and the annual allocations rises over time: £7.78 million in 2023/24, £11.17 million in 2024/25, £13.40 million in 2025/26, £28.88 million in 2026/27, and £32.87 million in 2027/28.

With reference to his Department’s press release entitled UK and Europe sign historic pact to drive clean energy future, published on 26 January 2026, what legal status the Hamburg Declaration has; and whether it creates binding obligations on the UK.

The Declaration and its annexes do not create any rights or obligations under national or international law.

With reference to his Department’s press release entitled UK and Europe sign historic pact to drive clean energy future, published on 26 January 2026, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the Hamburg Declaration on the number of people employed in offshore wind-related jobs in the UK.

The Department has not made specific projections of the number of offshore wind jobs attributable to the Hamburg Declaration. However, the UK is already leading the way in delivering the commitments set out in the Declaration. Contracts for Difference Allocation Round 7 secured 8.4GW of offshore wind – the biggest ever auction in European history – unlocking 7,000 jobs and driving £22 billion of private sector investment into UK factories and ports. The Government estimates that the offshore wind sector could support up to 100,000 direct and indirect jobs in Great Britain by 2030.

With reference to his Department’s press release entitled UK and Europe sign historic pact to drive clean energy future, published on 26 January 2026, what assessment his Department have made of the level of additional energy storage capacity required to accommodate the increase in electricity generated as a result of the agreement.

Coordinating with our neighbours can cut costs, strengthen energy security and help build a more flexible system. Any future hybrid projects, combining interconnection with offshore wind, will be guided by the Strategic Spatial Energy Plan (SSEP) conducted by our National Energy System Operator (NESO), which will be consulted on in Q1 2027. The SSEP will take a whole systems approach, co-optimising electricity generation, interconnection and storage across GB out to 2050. This will ensure that our international ambitions are coherent with domestic needs.

With reference to his Department’s press release entitled UK and Europe sign historic pact to drive clean energy future, published on 26 January 2026, what is the planned timetable for delivering the 100 GW of joint offshore wind projects agreed at the North Sea Summit.

The Hamburg Declaration sets a collective ambition of 100 GW of offshore wind cooperation projects by 2050. Shorter term delivery targets will flow from strategic planning work such as NESO's Strategic Spatial Energy Plan due to be consulted on in Q1 2027.

With reference to his Department’s press release entitled UK and Europe sign historic pact to drive clean energy future, published on 26 January 2026, what assessment his Department has made of the (a) resilience and (b) security risks associated with increased shared offshore energy infrastructure in the North Sea.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero works closely across Whitehall and with domestic and international partners to assess and manage the resilience and security risks associated with increased shared offshore energy infrastructure in the North Sea. Through this cooperation, and in line with the commitments made under the Hamburg Declaration, the Department is ensuring that future offshore hybrid assets and interconnectors are designed, operated, and maintained with proportionate protections against natural hazards and reckless or malign threats. The United Kingdom benefits from a resilient and diverse energy system, supported by rigorous security and resilience standards and close coordination across government, industry, and international counterparts.

With reference to his Department’s press release entitled UK and Europe sign historic pact to drive clean energy future, published on 26 January 2026, how much of the 100 GW of jointly delivered offshore wind capacity agreed under the Hamburg Declaration is expected to be located in UK waters.

The Hamburg Declaration sets a collective ambition of 100 GW of offshore wind cooperation projects by 2050. National contributions were not specified. Future GB co-ordinated projects will be guided by domestic strategic energy planning conducted by our National Energy System Operator (NESO), which is due to be consulted on in Q1 2027.

With reference to his Department’s press release entitled UK and Europe sign historic pact to drive clean energy future, published on 26 January 2026, whether the Hamburg Declaration places financial obligations on the UK.

The Hamburg Declaration does not place financial obligations on the UK.

With reference to his Department’s press release entitled UK and Europe sign historic pact to drive clean energy future, published on 26 January 2026, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of this pact on (a) domestic and (b) industrial energy prices in the UK.

There has not been a specific assessment of the impact of the pact on electricity prices, but it will support the buildout of Offshore Hybrid Assets, which combine offshore wind farms with interconnectors. Interconnection can provide GB access to cheaper electricity and reduce the cost of running our energy system. They can help dampen price spikes in GB by providing access to lower‑cost electricity from neighbouring markets when domestic prices rise, improving the system's resilience and reducing price volatility. We import when energy is cheaper than in GB, so domestic families and businesses pay lower prices for their energy.