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Select Committee · Energy Security and Net Zero Committee

National planning for energy infrastructure

Status: Closed Opened: 25 Apr 2025 Closed: 31 Dec 2025 22 recommendations 24 conclusions 1 report

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 …

Clear

Reports

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

Recommendations & Conclusions

2 items
9 Conclusion 2nd Report - Gridlock or growth? Avoidi… Rejected

Recognise regional capacities and optimal areas for energy technologies as material considerations in NPS.

We acknowledge the concern that strategic plans should not predetermine the outcome of any application for development consent. However, neither should the planning system be blind to the very existence of such plans and, most importantly, to their possible impact on the prospects of a project securing a grid connection. …

Government response. The government rejects making regional/zonal capacities and optimal areas explicit material considerations in the planning system, stating these should be incentivised through different mechanisms and such ranges have been removed from NPSs.
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
40 Recommendation 2nd Report - Gridlock or growth? Avoidi… Rejected

Amend onshore wind guidance (EN-3) to presume against deep peat development and require carbon reporting.

The Government should amend the proposed new guidance on onshore wind in EN-3 to: • whilst recognising there are areas in which development on peat would be unavoidable, introduce a presumption against building onshore wind developments on deep peat; and • require the downstream carbon emissions from building onshore wind …

Government response. The government acknowledges concerns about building wind farms on peatland but does not commit to amending the guidance to introduce a presumption against building on deep peat or requiring carbon emission reporting, stating that current protections within the planning system …
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

Oral evidence sessions

2 sessions
Date Witnesses
21 May 2025 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 View ↗
21 May 2025 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 View ↗