Source · Select Committees · Environmental Audit Committee
Recommendation 22
22
Acknowledged
Paragraph: 105
We welcome the inclusion of tidal power in Contracts for Difference auctions which has resulted...
Recommendation
We welcome the inclusion of tidal power in Contracts for Difference auctions which has resulted in 40MW of clean power from tides being awarded contracts. Tidal and other marine energy projects should be a vital component of the Government’s strategies for delivering both net zero and energy security. Tidal and other marine energy projects should be a vital component of the Government’s strategies for delivering both net zero and energy security. We recommend that the Government incorporate, as part of the revised net zero strategy to be published by March 2023, an approach to developing tidal and marine energy that includes a stated ambition for the sector set out in gigawatts of generating capacity. The UK should be aiming to generate a significant proportion of its power from these sources by the middle of the 2030s. This approach must be extremely sensitive to biodiversity considerations given the obvious risks of disrupting important habitats, and the Government should make this clear in planning guidance.
Government Response Summary
The government welcomes the inclusion of tidal power in Contracts for Difference auctions and recognizes the potential of tidal stream and tidal range technologies to deliver a reliable source of renewable energy.
Paragraph Reference:
105
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
We welcome the inclusion of tidal power in Contracts for Difference (CfD) auctions, and the recent announcements of allocations to a range of tidal stream projects. The Government recognises that tidal stream and tidal range technologies have the potential to deliver a consistently reliable year-round source of renewable energy.