§ Mr. DafisTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action will be taken by his Department to accelerate the development and adoption of solar and other low-impact renewable energy systems and more efficient energy storage devices.
§ Mr. EggarI have been asked to reply.
My Department has a wide-ranging programme to support the development, promotion and commercialisation of renewable energy in the United Kingdom, including solar energy. This includes a technical programme covering R and D, demonstration and technology transfer (costing £24.3 million in 1992–93) and action, under the Electricity Act 1989, setting non-fossil fuel obligation orders to provide a premium market for electricity-generating renewables in England and Wales.
There is a continuing dialogue with industry on the development of advanced battery technology. A project on superconducting magnetic energy storage, with an estimated total cost of around £1 million, is currently being considered for support by the Department.