The energy revolution and future challenges for UK energy and climate change policy Contents

Annex 2: Actions taken on issues raised by stakeholders

Table 1: Committee actions across the main scrutiny areas raised by stakeholders in our July 2015 consultation

Issue raised	Overview of Committee action
Biomass	In our report, 2020 renewable heat and transport targets, we looked at the role of bioenergy in meeting the UK’s targets and issues of bioenergy sustainability. We questioned the Secretary of State on the issue of biomass subsidies during a session on the DECC annual report and accounts.
Building regulations/zero carbon homes	Building regulations are outside our remit but we looked at the implication of the Government’s decision to end the zero carbon homes policy in our report, Home energy efficiency and demand reduction. We also discussed this with the Secretary of State during a session on DECC priorities, and with the CCC during a session on its 2015 progress report to Parliament.
Carbon capture and storage	Our report, Future of CCS in the UK, looked at the implications of the Government’s decision to cancel £1 billion funding for CCS.
Climate finance	We have not had time to consider this topic in detail.
CMA energy market investigation	We carried out an evidence session on this soon after the CMA’s final report was published. We also wrote to the Secretary of State about our concerns. Prior to the CMA’s report publication we discussed these matters with Ofgem and DECC during the annual reports and accounts sessions.
Coal	We have not had time to consider this topic in detail.
Community-ownership	We discussed this briefly with Ofgem during a session on the annual reports and accounts but have not had time to consider this topic in more detail.
COP21	We held a session with the Secretary of State to discuss the outcomes of COP21 and next steps for the UK.
Decarbonising the economy	In our report, Setting the fifth carbon budget, we looked at the Government’s plans for decarbonisation. We also discussed the Emissions Reduction Plan in our report, Investor confidence in the UK energy sector.
Energy costs and carbon pricing	We discussed carbon pricing with the CCC during a session on its 2015 progress report to Parliament. We discussed balancing costs and energy costs to manufacturers and industrial users at a session on security of supply with National Grid and also during a joint meeting on steel with other committees.
Energy efficiency, fuel poverty	We looked at this in detail in our report, Home energy efficiency and demand reduction.
Energy from Waste	We have not had time to consider this topic in detail.
Feed-in-Tariffs	We investigated changes to Feed-in-Tariffs and the broader framework for supporting renewables in our report, Investor confidence in the UK energy sector.
Gas in the UK energy system	We discussed the role of gas with the Energy Minister during a session on investor confidence. We also talked to National Grid about the Capacity Market and wider issues during a session on security of supply. We spoke to the CCC about the role of gas during a session on its 2015 progress report to Parliament.
Health	We looked at some aspects of the health benefits of energy efficiency improvements in our report, Home energy efficiency and demand reduction.
Heat	We looked at decarbonisation of heat in our report, 2020 renewable heat and transport targets.
Hydropower	We have not had time to consider this topic in detail.
Incentivising renewables	In our report, Investor confidence in the UK energy sector, we investigated aspects of the framework for supporting renewables.
Interconnectors	The role of interconnectors for UK security of supply was discussed in a session on security of supply with National Grid, and in more detail in our report, Low carbon network infrastructure.
International	We looked at international climate policy in a session with the Secretary of State to discuss the outcomes of COP21 and next steps for the UK. In addition to the work described in this report, we also held a session ahead of the EU referendum to look at the potential implications of a vote to leave. We have sought to draw on international best practice through the course of a number of inquiries, including our work on Low carbon network infrastructure and Energy revolution.
Investor confidence	This issue was covered in our report, Investor confidence in the UK energy sector.
Low carbon subsidies	We questioned the Energy Minister and Secretary of State on this issue during various one-off sessions. Our report, Investor confidence in the UK energy sector, also touched on this subject.
Maximising economic recovery in the domestic oil and gas sector	We held a general session with the Oil and Gas Authority and also followed up with a wider group of witnesses at a session on maximising economic recovery.
Networks, smart grids, storage, decentralised system	These issues were covered in our report, Low carbon network infrastructure.
Nuclear	We held a series of sessions on new nuclear over the course of the last year and exchanged correspondence with both the UK and French governments.
Research and Development and innovation	In addition to the work highlighted in this report (see chapter 2 on Energy revolution), we discussed the drivers of innovation with the CCC during a session on its 2015 progress report to Parliament. We also looked at network innovation in our report, Low carbon network infrastructure.
Role of Ofgem	The relationship between Ofgem and National Grid was discussed at the session on security of supply. We also talked in detail to Ofgem about its role and responsibilities during a session on its annual report and accounts.
Security of Supply	We held a session on security of supply and winter capacity margins with National Grid and followed up our concerns in writing. We have not had time to do more detailed work on this issue but consider it to be a priority area for future scrutiny.
Smart-meter rollout	We discussed the roll-out with both Ofgem and DECC during the annual reports and accounts sessions. We also discussed it in the course of our work on Pre-legislative scrutiny of Government’s draft legislation on energy.
Shale gas	We discussed this briefly with the CCC during a session on its 2015 progress report to Parliament. We have not had time to consider this topic in more detail.

Further details on these actions can be accessed via our website, www.parliament.uk/ecc, which includes transcripts of all public evidence sessions, written submissions from stakeholders, and copies of reports and correspondence.

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14 October 2016