Energy

This page highlights some of the current parliamentary material available on energy. This includes select committee reports, briefing papers on current legislation and other subjects produced by the parliamentary research services, and the latest Early Day Motions put down by MPs.

Standard Notes

Date	Description
11.07.2013	Shale gas and fracking
	The recent rapid development of unconventional gas resources (notably shale gas) in North America has transformed the world gas-market outlook. This note looks at the situation in the UK, covering resource estimates and economic potential, the regulatory regime, environmental considerations and current policy on fracking and shale gas.
02.07.2013	Domestic gas and electricity prices: Social Indicators page
	Depiction of trends in the retail prices of gas and electricity since privatisation.
24.06.2013	Thorium energy
	Thorium is an element which, with the right technology, can be used as a fuel for nuclear power. It is claimed to have a range of advantages over uranium including greater abundance, lower radiotoxicity waste, safer operation and weapons proliferation resistance - although some of these are disputed.
21.06.2013	Smart meters
	Between now and 2020 more than 50 million new 'smart meters' will be rolled out to 30 million homes and smaller businesses in Britain. These are intended to allow consumers to see and adjust in real time what energy they are using. The Public Accounts Committee considers the challenges associated with roll-out 'huge'.
10.06.2013	Greenhouse gas emissions: Social Indicators page
	Trends in emissions and assessment of progress on targets

Research Papers

Date	Description
12.03.2013	Energy Bill: Committee Stage Report
	This paper complements Library Research Paper 12/79 on the Energy Bill 2012-13. It covers the Bill's Second Reading and Committee Stages. The Bill seeks to implement electricity market reform and introduces 'contracts for difference' to support all forms of low carbon generation, including nuclear. Government amendments made during Committee Stage related to cheaper energy tariffs and setting a decarbonisation target.
13.12.2012	Energy Bill
	The Energy Bill [Bill 100 of 2012-13] seeks to implement 'electricity market reform' and through this achieve 'secure, clean and affordable' electricity supplies. The Bill was introduced to the Commons on 29 November 2012 and will have its Second Reading debate on 19 December 2012. A draft Bill was subject to pre-legislative scrutiny by the Energy and Climate Change Select Committee.
13.12.2012	Growth and Infrastructure Bill: Committee Stage Report
	This is a report on the House of Commons Committee Stage of the Growth and Infrastructure Bill. It complements Research Paper 12/61 prepared for Commons Second Reading
01.11.2012	Growth and Infrastructure Bill
	The Growth and Infrastructure Bill seeks to reduce delays in the planning system and to facilitate new development, through various means. It would allow planning obligations (section 106 agreements) relating to affordable housing to be renegotiated. To promote economic growth, it makes provision for a planned revaluation of business rates in England to be postponed and to create a new employment status of employee owner. Its second reading date has been moved from 30 October to 5 November 2012.
19.10.2012	Social Indicators
	A compendium of the latest social statistics. This edition includes articles on: UK aviation: airports and capacity; Road fuel prices and taxes across the EU; and a look back at London 2012.

Select Committee Reports

Date	Description
19.07.2011	Ofgem Retail Market Review.
	Energy and Climate Change Select Committee report [Commons]
19.07.2011	Shale gas.
	Government response. Energy and Climate Change Select Committee; Department of Energy and Climate Change report [Commons]
10.05.2011	Shale gas.
	Energy and Climate Change Select Committee report [Commons]
18.01.2011	The revised draft national policy statements on energy.
	Energy and Climate Change Select Committee report [Commons]
15.03.2010	The sale of the government's interest in British Energy.
	Public Accounts Committee report [Commons]

Early Day Motions

Date	Description
10.01.2012	BIG ENERGY WEEK
	That this House supports Big Energy Week, which runs from 16 to 21 January 2012 and is designed to help consumers to save money on their energy bills; notes that the recent rises in ...
14.12.2011	FISCAL INCENTIVES FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY
	That this House welcomes the recommendation by the Environmental Audit Committee in its July 2011 report Budget 2011 and Environmental Taxes that `the Government should consider providing ...
01.12.2011	GREEN DEAL AND VAT
	That this House recognises the overall costs of the Green Deal to consumers including product costs, interest rates and value added tax (VAT) will have an impact on future Green Deal ...
14.11.2011	RAISE THE RATE CAMPAIGN ON DEBT BLOCKING OF PRE-PAID METER CUSTOMERS
	<p>That this House calls on Ofgem urgently to raise the level of debt below which pre-paid meter (PPM) customers can switch their energy supplier from the current level of 200 to 350, ...
18.10.2011	ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND CARBON REDUCTIONS
	That this House believes it is essential that the UK Parliament passes all necessary legislation to ensure a great reduction in the nation's current carbon emission levels, improve ...

Lords Library Notes

Date	Description
08.01.2010	Debate on 14th January: The Copenhagen Conference on Climate Change. LLN 2010/001
	Debate on 14th January: The Copenhagen Conference on Climate Change. This Library Note aims to provide background reading for the debate to be held on Thursday 14th January: 'To call attention to the outcome of the Copenhagen Conference on Climate Change' The UN Conference on Climate Change took place in Copenhagen from 7th-19th December 2009. This Note explains the significance of the Conference in the context of previous international agreements on climate change, sets out the major disagreements that marred the negotiating process in Copenhagen and summarises the key elements contained in the final Copenhagen Accord. It considers analysis of the Accord's achievements and shortcomings, and summarises the reactions of key nations and interest groups.

POST Papers

Date	Description
16.01.2013	Residential Heat Pumps
	Heat pumps capture ambient heat from the air or the ground and transfer it inside a building. They provide an efficient alternative to conventional methods of heating, such as boilers. This POSTnote summarises the use of heat pump technology for residential buildings and the constraints to their uptake in the UK.
06.08.2012	Energy Use Behaviour Change
	This POSTnote introduces the factors and interventions that can influence behaviour, and discusses the behavioural aspects of the Green Deal and the smart meters programme.
25.05.2012	Assessing Energy Efficiency
	This POSTnote examines definitions of energy efficiency, looks at methods to measure and verify achieved energy savings and summarises UK and EU polices to promote energy efficiency.
15.05.2012	Bioenergy
	Bioenergy is the use of renewable natural material for power, heat and liquid fuels. Currently, the UK sources approximately 3% of its primary energy from bioenergy feedstocks. This POSTnote considers the opportunities and challenges of producing bioenergy sustainably to meet greenhouse gas reduction targets.
16.02.2012	Low Carbon Technologies for Energy-Intensive Industries
	Energy-intensive industries such as chemicals, paper, ceramics, cement, iron and steel are responsible for 45% of carbon emissions from businesses and the public sector in the UK. This briefing discusses carbon dioxide (CO2) abatement technologies for these industries and policies to support their adoption.
25.01.2012	Solar Photovoltaics
	Solar power has the potential to provide low carbon electricity and to generate employment. This POSTnote discusses the development of solar power in the UK and summarises debate over feed-in tariffs - financial support policies introduced in 2010 to stimulate take-up.