UK Inquiry Tracker

Government support for biomass

Public Accounts Committee Closed Inquiry

Opened: 4 Feb 2025 Closed: 16 Jun 2025 Parliament page

Over £20bn in support for businesses and households using biomass (such as plants or food waste) for fuel has been provided by Government since 2002. In combination with carbon capture, usage and storage , the Government is relying on the use of biomass to make a significant contribution to reaching … Read more

2 Recommendations

23 Conclusions

1 Report

1 Oral session

5 Letters

1 Event

Activity timeline 9 events

15 Dec
2025

Correspondence

Letter from the Permanent Secretary at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero relating to Government support for biomass, 03 Decem…

15 Dec
2025

Correspondence

Letter from the Chair to the Permanent Secretary at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero relating to Regulation of the biomass i…

15 Dec
2025

Correspondence

Letter from the Permanent Secretary at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero relating to Regulation of the biomass industry, 03 D…

10 Jul
2025

Report published

Treasury minutes: Government response to the Committee of Public Accounts on the Twenty-second report from Session 2024-25

25 Apr
2025

Report published

22nd Report - Government’s support for biomass

27 Mar
2025

Correspondence

Letter from the Chief Sustainability Officer at Drax relating to providing help with the Committee’s recommendations to Government regardin…

27 Mar
2025

Correspondence

Letter from the Permanent Secretary of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero relating to the oral evidence session held on 03 Mar…

3 Mar
2025

Oral evidence

Oral evidence session

3 Mar
2025

Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House

Committee event

Oral evidence sessions 1 session

3 Mar 2025

View on parliament.uk

Ashley Ibbett · Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Dr Sarah Redwood OBE · Department for Energy Security and Net Zero Jeremy Pocklington · Ministry of Defence Jonathan Brearley · Ofgem Jonathan Brearley · Department for Energy Security and Net Zero Kiera Schoenemann · Ofgem

Reports 1 report · click to expand

Title	HC No.	Published	Items	Response
22nd Report - Government’s support for biomass	HC 715	25 Apr 2025	25	Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

4 results

2 Recommendation Deferred

22nd Report - Government’s support…

Estimate cost and test effectiveness of monitoring increased biomass sustainability and Drax's sourcing.

DESNZ has not made clear how its plans to strengthen the sustainability rules might work in practice. In its Biomass Strategy, published in August 2023, DESNZ committed to develop and consult on a common sustainability framework which could be applied … Read more DESNZ has not made clear how its plans to strengthen the sustainability rules might work in practice. In its Biomass Strategy, published in August 2023, DESNZ committed to develop and consult on a common sustainability framework which could be applied to new future biomass policies and schemes across different sectors of the economy. It also committed to considering whether it should introduce a requirement that, to meet the standards for the land criteria, 100% of woody biomass should be sustainable rather than the current 70%. DESNZ acknowledges that a new approach to assurance is needed and that increasing the stringency of rules around sustainability may need an increase in resources to monitor compliance. Ofgem’s investigation into Drax, together with the detailed follow up work, indicates the level of resources which may be required to provide a higher level of assurance. Ofgem’s ability to provide assurance 4 over higher standards of sustainability will depend on increases in financial support from DESNZ and HM Treasury. Given the significant public concerns raised in relation to the findings of the KPMG review commissioned by Drax into its Canadian supply chain processes and reporting practices, from the forests of Western Canada to the power station in North Yorkshire, the full report should be made available for Parliamentary scrutiny. recommendation a. DESNZ should estimate the cost and test the effectiveness of its proposals for monitoring compliance against an increased threshold for sustainability; b. DESNZ and HM Treasury should, working with Ofgem, consider the resource implications for Ofgem of introducing and then running a new oversight regime. DESNZ should set out, and publish, the steps it is taking to make sure it has the confidence that all the fuel burned at Drax is sustainably sourced; and c. Drax should provide the Committee with the full report as produced following the review commissioned from KPMG of its Canadian supply chain processes a Show less

Government Response

The government states that providing the KPMG report (requested in point c) is not its responsibility, as the reports belong to Drax and it is up to Drax to release them. The response does not address points 'a' or 'b' of the recommendation regarding cost estimation, effectiveness testing, or resource implications for a new oversight regime.

HM Treasury

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13 Conclusion Deferred

22nd Report - Government’s support…

Ofgem investigation found Drax misreported data due to poor governance, resulting in redress.

In August 2024, Ofgem published the outcome of its investigation into Drax.30 It told us that it had reviewed over 3,000 documents as part of its investigation.31 It also reviewed a report by KPMG, commissioned by Drax, which looked at … Read more

Government Response

The government states that this is not a matter for the government to consider, and it is for Drax to decide whether they wish to release the KPMG reports, adding that Ofgem has already published significant detail.

HM Treasury

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23 Conclusion Deferred

22nd Report - Government’s support…

BECCS considered essential for UK decarbonisation, despite reduced projected role by 2050.

Combining power generation using sustainably sourced biomass with carbon capture and storage (CCUS) has the potential to generate ‘negative emissions’–i.e. it could reduce the overall amount of CO2 in the atmosphere.65 Both the government and the Climate Change Committee (CCC), … Read more

Government Response

The government agrees that BECCS is important and states that a forthcoming report, compliant with a High Court Order and the Climate Change Act 2008, will address policies and proposals to meet carbon budgets. They have also commissioned an Independent Review of Greenhouse Gas Removals to consider how BECCS can assist in meeting net zero targets.

HM Treasury

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24 Conclusion Deferred

22nd Report - Government’s support…

Initial BECCS plant target of 2030 will not be met, future support unclear.

The government had initially planned for BECCS plant to begin operating at scale in 2030 as part of its broader CCUS programme.68 However, as the first phase of the CCUS programme (known as Track 1) does not include a BECCS … Read more

Government Response

The government acknowledges the lack of a revised target date for BECCS and states that a forthcoming report, compliant with a High Court Order and the Climate Change Act 2008, will address policies and proposals to meet carbon budgets. They have also commissioned an Independent Review of Greenhouse Gas Removals to consider how BECCS can assist in meeting net zero targets.

HM Treasury

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Government Response AI assessment · 19 of 2 classified

Accepted 7

Acknowledged 6

Deferred 4

Rejected 2

Total 2 recs + 23 conclusions

Correspondence 5 letters

15 Dec 2025 To committee Letter from the Permanent Secretary at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero relating to Government support for biomass, 03 December 2025

Parliament page

15 Dec 2025 To committee Letter from the Chair to the Permanent Secretary at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero relating to Regulation of the biomass industry, 30 October 2025

Parliament page

15 Dec 2025 To committee Letter from the Permanent Secretary at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero relating to Regulation of the biomass industry, 03 December 2025

Parliament page

27 Mar 2025 To committee Letter from the Chief Sustainability Officer at Drax relating to providing help with the Committee’s recommendations to Government regarding Biomass, 17 March 2025

Parliament page

27 Mar 2025 To committee Letter from the Permanent Secretary of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero relating to the oral evidence session held on 03 March 2025 on The Government’s Support for Biomass, including additional details on Drax Heads of Terms, 19 March 2025

Parliament page