Recommendation 7

HM Government · verbatim extract Deferred

The NPSs aim to provide clear guidance to applicants and decision-makers on how to apply existing policies. For plans and policies that are currently in development, we cannot pre-empt the conclusions of policy development processes. Further detail on, or signposting to, strategic plans that are currently in development is anticipated in future NPS updates, once such plans are published. As noted above, the NPS has been amended to highlight that modelling from the SSEP will feed into the CSNP. As set out in Ofgem’s CSNP guidance, NESO will define the relationship between each planning product through its methodologies. NESO also plans to provide more detail via its stakeholder engagement programme once the methodology is finalised. 8. We heard that the availability of a grid connection should be given significant weight in national planning policy, as one of the most decisive factors in determining location. However, the same witnesses suggested that when a project may be less likely to secure a grid connection because it is incompatible with strategic plans. This should not be a relevant consideration. It seems to us that this would be inconsistent. The availability and prospects of securing a grid connection are issues that should cut both ways, weighing for, or against, the grant of development consent depending on the circumstances. The current approach taken in the NPSs is that applications for new generating stations and related infrastructure should be contained in a single application or in separate applications submitted in tandem which have been prepared in an integrated way. The NPSs recognise that it may not be possible to coordinate applications in this way, and developers must include information on the other elements and confirm that there are no obvious reasons why other elements, such as a grid connection, are likely to be refused. In making a decision on an application for development consent, the Secretary of State should be satisfied that appropriate network connection arrangements are/will be in place for a given project regardless of whether one or multiple (linked) applications are submitted. Under the reformed connections process, projects receive either a ‘Gate 2’ connection offer with confirmed location and date or a ‘Gate 1’ connection offer with an indicative connection location and date. The criteria are based on a. ‘readiness’ – how far has a project progressed, for example a project that has had a development consent application accepted would be given priority over one that has not; and b. ‘strategic alignment’ – where appropriate, projects are then assessed on whether they are within the technology, locational and voltage capacity allocations set out in the Clean Power 2030 Action Plan. Only those that are within the allocation receive a ‘Gate 2’ connection. NESO is currently reforming the connections queue and following that exercise not all capacity allocations will be full. Over time, capacity will also become available – either through attrition of projects that have a Gate 2 connection agreement but do not progress or through changes to the capacity allocation, for example when the SSEP is published. It is important for our clean power mission, therefore, that projects without confirmed connection dates and locations are as ready as possible to fill available capacity. Projects with development consent are given priority over those without when allocating any such capacity, so it can still be advantageous for developers to apply for development consent even without a Gate 2 connection agreement. To give extra weight to the connection status of a project in the development consent regime would deter this. It would potentially prevent (or reduce the speed at which) viable projects that do not have a Gate 2 connection agreement filling available capacity, and negatively impact on achieving our energy goals.