UK Inquiry Tracker

Energy National Policy Statements

Business and Trade Committee Closed Inquiry

Opened: 3 Nov 2021 Closed: 27 Apr 2023 Parliament page

The Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee is to carry out an inquiry into the revised energy National Policy Statements (NPS). The current suite of energy National Policy Statements were designated by the Department of Energy and Climate Change in 2011. The revised energy NPS were tabled by the Government … Read more The Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee is to carry out an inquiry into the revised energy National Policy Statements (NPS). The current suite of energy National Policy Statements were designated by the Department of Energy and Climate Change in 2011. The revised energy NPS were tabled by the Government on 20 September 2021 (HCWS295). They set out the Government’s policy for the delivery of energy infrastructure and provide the legal framework for planning decisions in key energy policy areas: fossil fuels (EN-2); renewables (EN-3); gas supply and gas and oil pipelines (EN-4); electricity networks (EN-5); and nuclear (EN-6). They each sit below an overarching energy NPS (EN-1) which sets out the need for new energy infrastructure. The Government announced a review of the current suite of energy National Policy Statements (NPS) in the Energy White Paper: Powering our net zero future in December 2020. The Government launched a public consultation on the draft revised energy National Policy Statements, supporting habitats and sustainability reports and associated appendices on 6 September 2021. This is a separate process to the Select Committee’s inquiry. Inquiry background The Government’s Energy White Paper set a long-term strategic vision for the energy system, consistent with net zero emissions by 2050. The White Paper establishes a goal of moving away from fossil fuels to clean energy and the Government reviewed all the National Policy Statements for energy infrastructure and determined that EN-1 to EN-5 documents should be amended to reflect the policies set out in the White Paper and support the investment required to build the infrastructure needed for transition to net zero. A review of EN-6 concluded that it will not be amended and therefore it does not form part of the Government’s consultation or this inquiry. The NPS has effect for the decisions by the Secretary of State on applications for energy developments that are nationally significant under the Planning Act 2008. For such applications this NPS, combined with any technology specific energy NPS where relevant, provides the primary policy for decisions by the Secretary of State. Under the Planning Act 2008 the Secretary of State must also have regard to any local impact report submitted by a relevant local authority, any relevant matters prescribed in regulations, the Marine Policy Statement (MPS) and any applicable Marine Plan, and any other matters which the Secretary of State thinks are both important and relevant to the planning decision. The NPS must receive Parliamentary approval before new major energy infrastructure can be delivered. The Secretary of State will decide all applications for nationally significant infrastructure projects in England and Wales, adjacent territorial waters and the offshore Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) (except any part in relation to which Scottish Ministers have functions). In Northern Ireland, planning consent for all nationally significant infrastructure projects is devolved to the Northern Ireland Executive. Show less

14 Recommendations

6 Conclusions

1 Report

2 Oral sessions

6 Letters

2 Events

Activity timeline 12 events

27 Apr
2023

Report published

Fourth Special Report - Revised (Draft) National Policy Statement for Energy: Government response to the Committee’s Ninth Report of Sessio…

25 Feb
2022

Report published

Ninth Report - Revised (Draft) National Policy Statement for Energy

25 Jan
2022

Correspondence

Letter from the Chair to the Committee for Climate Change on the Energy National Policy Statements

18 Jan
2022

Oral evidence

Oral evidence session

18 Jan
2022

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

NPS

14 Jan
2022

Correspondence

Letter from the Energy Networks Association on electricity networks' response to Storm Arwen

14 Jan
2022

Correspondence

Letter from the Chair to Ofgem on energy network resilience

14 Jan
2022

Correspondence

Letter from the Chair to the Energy Networks Association on energy network resilience

14 Jan
2022

Correspondence

Letter from the Chair to the National Infrastructure Commission on investment in electricity transmission and distribution networks

14 Jan
2022

Correspondence

Letter from Ofgem on network resilience arrangements

7 Dec
2021

Oral evidence

Oral evidence session

7 Dec
2021

Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 8, Palace of Westminster

Scrutiny of National Policy Statement - Energy

Oral evidence sessions 2 sessions

18 Jan 2022

View on parliament.uk

Oral evidence session

Gareth Phillips · National Infrastructure Planning Association Jan Bessell · National Infrastructure Planning Association Jeremy Allen · Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Julian Boswall · National Infrastructure Planning Association Rt Hon Christopher Pincher MP · Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Rt Hon Greg Hands · Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

7 Dec 2021

View on parliament.uk

Oral evidence session

Aled Rowlands · National Grid Chris Richards · Institution of Civil Engineers Danielle Lane · Offshore Wind Industry Council Dr. Nick Hughes · University College London Institute for Sustainable Resources Emma Pinchbeck · Energy UK James Richardson · National Infrastructure Commission Paul McGimpsey · Energy Networks Association Tania Davey · The Wildlife Trusts

Reports 1 report · click to expand

Title	HC No.	Published	Items	Response
Ninth Report - Revised (Draft) National Policy Statement for Ene…	HC 1151	25 Feb 2022	20	Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

3 results

7 Recommendation Deferred

Ninth Report - Revised (Draft) Nat…

We acknowledge the Government’s view that the NPS should not be overly prescriptive to avoid...

We acknowledge the Government’s view that the NPS should not be overly prescriptive to avoid discouraging the development of new technologies. We recognise that the NPS should also facilitate the development of new technologies in this fast-moving sector. We therefore … Read more

Government Response

The government has no plans to create a single NPS for Infrastructure, instead directing to the National Infrastructure Strategy (NIS) and Transforming Infrastructure Performance: Roadmap to 2030. DLUHC will consider the merits and possibility of consolidating NPSs over the longer term.

Department for Business and Trade

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9 Recommendation Deferred

Ninth Report - Revised (Draft) Nat…

We recommend that the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy work with the Department...

We recommend that the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy work with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to consider the potential merits of implementing a single National Policy Statement across sectors with sub-sector statements linked to … Read more

Government Response

While agreeing on the importance of onshore wind, the government confirmed local councils will remain responsible for onshore wind applications and committed to consult on proposed changes to the National Planning Policy Framework.

Department for Business and Trade

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11 Recommendation Deferred

Ninth Report - Revised (Draft) Nat…

We recognise the importance of onshore wind as a significant source of clean energy and...

We recognise the importance of onshore wind as a significant source of clean energy and as a key part of the energy mix required to achieve net zero. The current NPS was reviewed in order to bring the planning framework … Read more

Government Response

The government accepts the Committee’s recommendation and has included a new paragraph 1.1.4 in draft EN-4 setting out that applications can be made in line with current policies to enable the development of relevant natural gas supply infrastructure and oil and gas pipelines to help maintain natural gas resilience.

Department for Business and Trade

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Government Response AI assessment · 19 of 14 classified

Accepted 6

Accepted in Part 1

Acknowledged 5

Deferred 3

Not Addressed 2

Rejected 2

Total 14 recs + 6 conclusions

Correspondence 6 letters

25 Jan 2022 To committee Letter from the Chair to the Committee for Climate Change on the Energy National Policy Statements

Parliament page

14 Jan 2022 To committee Letter from the Energy Networks Association on electricity networks' response to Storm Arwen

Parliament page

14 Jan 2022 To committee Letter from the Chair to Ofgem on energy network resilience

Parliament page

14 Jan 2022 To committee Letter from the Chair to the Energy Networks Association on energy network resilience

Parliament page

14 Jan 2022 To committee Letter from the Chair to the National Infrastructure Commission on investment in electricity transmission and distribution networks

Parliament page

14 Jan 2022 To committee Letter from Ofgem on network resilience arrangements

Parliament page