Written Answers from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Regarding Wind

These answers reveal a worry about discussing the magnitude of special payments to renewable generators, and confirms that there are too many days when wind produces little electricity, leaving us dependent on gas, coal and biomass.

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has provided the following answer to your written parliamentary question (112033):

Question:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much was spent on National Grid constraint payments to wind generators in 2022. (112033)

Tabled on: 16 December 2022

Answer:
Graham Stuart:

The National Grid Electricity System Operator publishes data on the costs and volumes of electricity system balancing services monthly. This includes a breakdown of constraint costs by fuel type, including wind farms. The total amount paid to wind generators for 2022 has not yet been finalised. Further detail on wind farm payments paid in October can be found in The National Grid Electricity System Operator’s monthly Balancing Services Summary.

The following documents were submitted as part of the answer and are appended to this email:

1. File name: Monthly Balancing Services-october-2022.pdf
   Description: Monthly Balancing Services Summary 2022/23 October

The answer was submitted on 28 Dec 2022 at 10:24.

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has provided the following answer to your written parliamentary question (112032):

Question:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much has been paid to wind generators in subsidies in 2022. (112032)

Tabled on: 16 December 2022

Answer:
Graham Stuart:

The Government supports wind generators through a number of schemes. Finalised data for total payments made in 2022 are not yet available.

The answer was submitted on 28 Dec 2022 at 10:26.

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has provided the following answer to your written parliamentary question (112031):

Question:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, on how many days did wind power provide less than 10 per cent of UK electricity output in 2022. (112031)

Tabled on: 16 December 2022

Answer:
Graham Stuart:

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy does not hold daily electricity generation data. However, for the Public Distribution System in Great Britain only, Elexon’s figures show that up to 20th December, there were 64 days in 2022 where generation from wind provided less than 10 per cent of total generation. This excludes net imports from interconnectors.

Source: Elexon half-hourly balancing mechanism reports, available at: https://www2.bmreports.com/bmrs/?q=generation/fueltype

The answer was submitted on 28 Dec 2022 at 10:28.