Dear constituent,

Thank you for contacting me recently about subsidies for electricity generated from biomass.

I appreciate the concerns that you raise. It is important that all energy forms we use in our move towards a low-carbon economy are sustainable. We must consider where biomass feedstock comes from, as well as how land is used for biomass production and the extent to which it could displace other forms of production.

I note that in 2018, the Committee on Climate Change published a review of the role of bioenergy in decarbonising the UK economy through to 2050. It found that biomass can play an important role in meeting the UK’s long-term emissions targets and moving towards net-zero emissions, but only with stricter governance to ensure sustainable supplies. It recommended that biomass be used in the most effective way, prioritising uses that enable long-term carbon storage. I believe it is important to take these findings into account in our approach to this issue.

On subsidies for biomass under the Renewable Obligation scheme, the Government has said that since generating stations under the scheme receive support for up to 20 or 25 years, depending on when they were accredited, and have a statutory right to their existing support, it would be inappropriate to redirect that support to other technologies. Nevertheless, I am aware that the Government is looking at how to improve how the UK deploys biomass and intends to publish a biomass strategy in 2022, so I will continue to monitor developments on this issue. I know that as part of this process it has recently published a call for evidence on biomass and reaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions.

More widely, I agree wholeheartedly with your call for greater support for renewable energy such as wind and solar power. As we emerge from the coronavirus crisis, I believe the UK must implement the most ambitious green recovery programme in the world. This will enable us not only to reduce our carbon footprint but also to improve the quality of life enjoyed by people across the country and, crucially, provide jobs for those displaced by the pandemic, creating a “zero-carbon army” of workers who can help deliver the renewable energy and green technologies of the future.

Thank you once again for contacting me.

Yours sincerely,