Anna Dixon raises Cullingworth battery storage proposal in Parliament

The Member of Parliament for Shipley has today received reassurance from the government that safety and community benefits will be absolutely key to all new renewable energy infrastructure projects.

Speaking at Topical Questions, Anna Dixon MP raised the issue after receiving contact from several constituents about concerns regarding a proposed battery energy storage system near Cullingworth.

Ms Dixon expressed her support for the government's commitment to increasing renewable energy generation nationwide and that public safety must be at the forefront of any new infrastructure.

Anna Dixon said:

“I welcome the Government’s commitment to increasing renewable energy generation.

“An important component of that is the development of associated infrastructure, including battery storage facilities such as those proposed in Cullingworth in my constituency.

“How do the Government plan to ensure that the safety of residents is not put at risk by such developments, and that there is clear community benefit from any renewable energy plans and the associated infrastructure?”

Michael Shanks, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Energy, replied:

“Batteries will play an important part in the short-duration storage required for the energy system we are building for the future. It is a question of balance.

“Communities will be engaged in the consultation process, and I will be convening a roundtable with providers of battery technology and other short-duration storage in the next few months to learn both from projects that have worked well and from projects on which we could do better in future.

“I will happily share any information from that with my hon. Friend.”