Barry Sheerman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2015-10-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps she is taking to move the UK’s energy supply to more renewable resources.

Andrea Leadsom

Renewable electricity capacity has trebled since 2010. The most recent step we have taken to support deployment is the introduction of Contracts for Difference, which gives companies long-term revenue certainty and drives down costs for consumers through competition. We will set out our proposals in respect of the next CFD allocation round in due course.

Under existing renewable heat schemes, the Government has supported around 40,000 homes and 12,000 businesses, schools, farms and other organisations with new renewable heating systems. Almost 5 terawatt hours of eligible heat have been generated and paid for under the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) at the end of August 2015.

The Government is investing £500 million over the next 5 years in making ultra-low emission vehicles more accessible to families and businesses across the country, and fuel suppliers are already required to meet a 4.75% renewable transport fuel target by ensuring that sustainable biofuel is supplied.