Source · Select Committees · Energy Security and Net Zero Committee
Recommendation 15
15
Accepted
Condition endorsement of strategic energy plans on completion of public consultation and environmental assessments.
Recommendation
Endorsement of the Strategic Spatial Energy Plan, the Centralised Strategic Network Plan and the Electricity Transmission Design Principles in the National Policy Statements should not become official until these plans are finalised and have completed public consultation and environmental assessments. At that stage, the Government should review the proposed policy wording to do so and should implement any necessary changes through the streamlined procedure for amending the National Policy Statements being introduced in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill. (Recommendation, Paragraph 46) 53
Government Response Summary
The government accepts the recommendation, stating that endorsement of the CSNP, SSEP, and ETDP in the NPSs will only become official after plans are finalised, undergo public consultation, environmental assessments, and publication.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
The proposed amendments to the NPSs mean that the CSNP will only be endorsed when certain steps have been completed, which include completing public consultation and relevant environmental assessments and publication on NESO’s website. Similarly, the reference to SSEP only applies once it is endorsed by relevant governments upon publication by NESO. The amendment includes a reference to the ETDP to ensure that, only once published, developers have regard to the ETDP. Following publication, the government will review if full endorsement of the ETDP within EN-5 is appropriate. This is likely to take place after the 2025 NPS EN-5 update publication.