UK Inquiry Tracker

National planning for energy infrastructure

Energy Security and Net Zero Committee Closed Inquiry

Opened: 25 Apr 2025 Closed: 31 Dec 2025 Parliament page

The Government is launching an update to the National Policy Statements for energy infrastructure, which govern development consent for major energy installations. One of the leading aims of the policy update is to give greater clarity about the weight planners should give to competing interests including economic, ecological, energy supply … Read more The Government is launching an update to the National Policy Statements for energy infrastructure, which govern development consent for major energy installations. One of the leading aims of the policy update is to give greater clarity about the weight planners should give to competing interests including economic, ecological, energy supply and security, and even aesthetic considerations, which can severely slow or even halt infrastructure planning decisions in their tracks. And time is of the essence: Government's Clean Power 2030 target will require most new electricity transmission and offshore wind projects to secure planning consent by next year, and most large-scale onshore projects will need that consent by 2028. The Government has indicated that it wants to remove planning ‘blocks’ to the infrastructure development needed for its energy, industrial and growth strategies – but will these updates to the National Policy Statements fit the bill? Can they really help balance the thorny issues around the competing, legitimate aims and interests of national energy needs, local communities and the natural environment? A key example is the question of electricity cabling: it can cost up to ten times as much to bury power cables as to run them on pylons overhead. But strong community objections to pylons on mainly aesthetic grounds can hold up the necessary planning consents - time that national energy needs, targets and strategy now do not have. Where should the balance lie? Do the policy statement updates do enough to help planners decide? Alongside the Government’s consultation on the new policy statements the Committee is launching a quick call for evidence, seeking stakeholder views on the impact of the policy changes. Many stakeholders will be making detailed submissions to the Government consultation on the same short timeline: the Committee would welcome submission of the “highlights” or key elements of these more detailed responses to Government, to be considered by the Committee and synthesised into our own recommendations to the Government. On that basis, the Committee is seeking evidence submissions by 5pm on May 12th from all interested stakeholders on any or all of the following areas in the three updated National Policy Statements for energy infrastructure: Overarching National Policy Statement for energy (EN-1) National Policy Statement for renewable energy infrastructure (EN-3) National Policy Statement for electricity networks infrastructure (EN-5) Show less

22 Recommendations

24 Conclusions

1 Report

2 Oral sessions

2 Events

Activity timeline 6 events

19 Nov
2025

Report published

2nd Special Report - Gridlock or Growth? Avoiding energy planning chaos: Government Response

7 Jul
2025

Report published

2nd Report - Gridlock or growth? Avoiding energy planning chaos

21 May
2025

Oral evidence

21 May
2025

Oral evidence

21 May
2025

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

Oral evidence

21 May
2025

Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 16, Palace of Westminster

Oral evidence

Oral evidence sessions 2 sessions

21 May 2025

View on parliament.uk

Oral evidence

Chandni Ruparelia · Island Green Power Charles Wood · Energy UK Charlotte Mitchell · National Grid Electricity Transmission Eleri Wilce · RWE Renewables Julian Leslie CEng FIET · National Energy System Operator (NESO) Lawrence Slade FEI · Energy Networks Associaiton

21 May 2025

View on parliament.uk

Oral evidence

Ali Leeder · Aeos Infrastructure Planning Graham Gunby · Suffolk County Council Isobel Morris · Royal Society for the Protection of Birds Jackie Copley MRTPI · Campaign for Protection of Rural England Peta Donkin · National Infrastructure Planning Association Sam Richards · Britain Remade

Reports 1 report · click to expand

Title	HC No.	Published	Items	Response
2nd Report - Gridlock or growth? Avoiding energy planning chaos	HC 868	7 Jul 2025	46	Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

6 results

4 Recommendation Accepted in Part

2nd Report - Gridlock or growth? A…

Require Government to provide ten sitting weeks for Select Committee National Policy Statement scrutiny.

Given that the Government, in its Planning and Infrastructure Bill, is seeking to disapply the current requirement for the Secretary of State to respond to any resolutions made by a committee in either House of Parliament, we recommend that the … Read more

Government Response

The government agrees that Select Committees should have sufficient time for scrutiny but rejects committing to a fixed minimum review period of ten sitting weeks due to the need for flexibility and pace in energy delivery. It commits to ensuring that future scrutiny periods will encompass the public consultation and allow additional time for committees to report and debates to occur, acknowledging the importance of parliamentary consideration.

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

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6 Conclusion Accepted in Part

2nd Report - Gridlock or growth? A…

Define central and industry expectations within National Policy Statements plainly and transparently.

The Government’s new strategic framework for energy infrastructure planning represents a significant departure from the existing market-led approach to development by industry. The National Policy Statements should define what is set centrally and what is expected from industry plainly and … Read more

Government Response

The government clarifies its intention for a hybrid system, with NESO recommendations in the NPS covering high-level strategic parameters and project-level details subject to local planning, thereby partially defining roles.

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

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12 Conclusion Accepted in Part

2nd Report - Gridlock or growth? A…

Guidance on Centralised Strategic Network Plan endorsement in EN-1 remains unclear.

We welcome the decision to endorse the Centralised Strategic Network Plan (CSNP) in the National Policy Statements. However, we are concerned that the proposed guidance in paragraphs 3.3.78 to 3.3.80 of EN-1 is not clear enough about what, precisely, it … Read more

Government Response

The government clarifies that the NPS will endorse the CSNP's strategic parameters, such as location and technology choice, with further exact details to be defined in the methodology published early 2026.

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

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13 Recommendation Accepted in Part

2nd Report - Gridlock or growth? A…

Review and amend EN-1 guidance endorsing CSNP for clarity and consistent language.

The Government should review and, if necessary, amend the proposed guidance endorsing the CSNP in paragraphs 3.3.78 to 3.3.80 of EN-1, to make the language more consistent, unambiguous, and more in keeping with current understandings of the intended purpose of … Read more

Government Response

The government has removed the term "strategic solution" from the guidance as recommended but maintained "indicative routes" and "strategic parameters" with justifications for their continued use.

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

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14 Recommendation Accepted in Part

2nd Report - Gridlock or growth? A…

Clarify National Policy Statements to permit adjustments to electricity transmission strategic parameters when justified.

The National Policy Statements should clarify that adjustments may be made to the “strategic parameters” for new electricity transmission infrastructure set out in the Centralised Strategic Network Plan where this is justified following detailed design development, community consultations or environmental … Read more

Government Response

The government will review if full endorsement of the ETDP within EN-5 is appropriate after the 2025 NPS EN-5 update publication, implying a partial acceptance of adjustments to strategic parameters following consultations and surveys.

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

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45 Recommendation Accepted in Part

2nd Report - Gridlock or growth? A…

Amend solar farm guidance to clarify agricultural land classification and food security considerations.

The Government should review and amend this guidance to: • The Government should reaffirm its commitment to developing solar on developed land, brownfield land, contaminated land and industrial land before agricultural land. The Government should also consider innovative ways to … Read more

Government Response

The government states NPS guidance already prioritises brownfield and lower-quality agricultural land and has added a reference to Natural England's guidance on assessing agricultural land classification in the NPS for clarity, including soil surveys. However, it does not explicitly commit to referring to food security in the guidance or addressing the patchwork nature of BMV land.

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

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Government Response AI assessment · 46 of 22 classified

Accepted 22

Accepted in Part 6

Acknowledged 10

Deferred 6

Rejected 2

Total 22 recs + 24 conclusions