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

10 results

1 Conclusion Acknowledged

2nd Report - Gridlock or growth? A…

Government delayed granting adequate time, hindering effective parliamentary scrutiny of National Policy Statements.

We find it immensely frustrating that the Government chose to act in a way which appeared to acquiesce to our requests for additional time to consider its draft National Policy Statements on Energy but only after we had compressed our … Read more

Government Response

The government notes the committee's concerns regarding insufficient time for parliamentary scrutiny of draft energy National Policy Statements (NPSs). It explains that the tight timeline was necessary to meet a 12-month review commitment and publish NPSs within 2025, particularly to integrate onshore wind updates and provide clarity to the planning system.

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

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2 Conclusion Acknowledged

2nd Report - Gridlock or growth? A…

Government failed to respect parliamentary scrutiny by not providing timely process information.

The Government has failed to respect the value of Parliamentary scrutiny in this process. It refused to listen to our concerns with its initial timescales until it was too late for us to utilise additional time effectively. The issues considered … Read more

Government Response

The government notes the committee's concerns that insufficient time was provided for parliamentary scrutiny, leading to a hampered process. It explains that the tight timeline was driven by the need to complete a 12-month review of National Policy Statements and publish them within 2025, ensuring alignment with policy on onshore wind and providing clarity to the planning system.

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

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3 Conclusion Acknowledged

2nd Report - Gridlock or growth? A…

Government failed to create sufficient space for effective parliamentary scrutiny of energy policy statements.

These statements are very important in determining how energy infrastructure will be developed for the foreseeable future. The process was established, by the last Labour government, to provide Parliament with a voice and time to determine what to say. It … Read more

Government Response

The government notes the committee's disappointment regarding the insufficient time provided for effective parliamentary scrutiny of the important energy National Policy Statements. It reiterates that the accelerated timeline was necessary to meet a 12-month review deadline and publish updated NPSs, crucial for integrating onshore wind policy and ensuring clarity in energy infrastructure planning.

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

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20 Conclusion Acknowledged

2nd Report - Gridlock or growth? A…

Strategic energy plans offer valuable early opportunities for public infrastructure understanding.

The Strategic Spatial Energy Plan (SSEP), the Centralised Strategic Network Plan (CSNP) and the Land Use Framework (LUF) are valuable opportunities to build greater public understanding of the need for energy infrastructure and the trade-offs involved in choosing between different … Read more

Government Response

The government agrees that a comprehensive engagement strategy is critical for the effective development and public acceptance of strategic energy plans. It notes that NESO is already undertaking extensive engagement ahead of the public consultation in 2026 and references existing commitments and future legislation.

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

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22 Recommendation Acknowledged

2nd Report - Gridlock or growth? A…

Require NESO to present further details on strategic energy plan consultation and engagement.

At this early stage, we have yet to see sufficient evidence of NESO’s ambitions for societal engagement and public consultation being put into practice in the development of the SSEP and the CSNP. In the autumn, we expect to hear … Read more

Government Response

The government states that NESO is already undertaking extensive engagement, including focus groups and questionnaires, ahead of the public consultation in 2026. It agrees a comprehensive engagement strategy is critical, but does not explicitly commit to providing the specific update on NESO's consultation strategy and stakeholder contributions by autumn as requested.

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

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23 Recommendation Acknowledged

2nd Report - Gridlock or growth? A…

Expedite Secretary of State decisions and draft SSEP publication to protect public engagement timeline.

To protect the time allocated for public engagement and consultation on the draft SSEP, without compromising NESO’s deadline to publish the final SSEP in December 2026, there can be no delay to: • NESO’s presentation of the SSEP pathway options … Read more

Government Response

The government states that NESO is already undertaking extensive engagement, with the public consultation for the SSEP to be published in 2026. However, it does not specifically commit to avoiding delays in pathway selection and presentation or to publishing the draft SSEP by the recommended deadline of February 2026.

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

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28 Conclusion Acknowledged

2nd Report - Gridlock or growth? A…

Well-planned and managed solar farms can substantially increase biodiversity and create varied habitats.

Scientific evidence presented to us shows that, if well-planned and well- managed specifically to benefit nature, solar farms can increase biodiversity by creating mixed habitats for birds and other wildlife. (Conclusion, Paragraph 78)

Government Response

The government acknowledges the committee's finding, agreeing that well-designed and managed solar farms can improve biodiversity, especially on agricultural land, and support a range of ecosystem services.

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

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39 Conclusion Acknowledged

2nd Report - Gridlock or growth? A…

Weak guidance on onshore wind on deep peat undermines net zero and peatland protection.

Building renewable energy infrastructure on peatland is counterproductive to the achievement of net zero if this results in the release of accumulated carbon stores into the atmosphere. Given this context, and the Climate Change Committee’s recommendations for peatland restoration in … Read more

Government Response

The government acknowledges concerns about building wind farms on peatland but asserts that its draft guidance for onshore wind already includes specific protective provisions for peat, and existing planning system protections provide a balanced approach.

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

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41 Recommendation Acknowledged

2nd Report - Gridlock or growth? A…

Publish equivalent guidance to Nature Scot’s on peatland, carbon-rich soils, and habitat management.

The Government should consider publishing an equivalent to Nature Scot’s 2023 guidance, “Advising on peatland, carbon-rich soils and priority peatland habitats in development management”. (Recommendation, Paragraph 97)

Government Response

The government stated that it is actively considering the need for new guidance or decision-making tools regarding renewable energy infrastructure development on peatland, in response to the recommendation for guidance equivalent to NatureScot's.

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

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42 Conclusion Acknowledged

2nd Report - Gridlock or growth? A…

New guidance on inter-array wake effects (EN-3) lacks clarity for industry.

The concerns that we have heard from industry about the Government’s proposed new guidance on inter-array wake effects in EN-3 suggest that this may not have provided the clarity that was intended. This may especially be the case in relation … Read more

Government Response

The government acknowledges the committee's concerns about the clarity of guidance on inter-array wake effects and notes that views on mitigation vary across the offshore wind sector, indicating no industry consensus.

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