Source · Select Committees · Energy Security and Net Zero Committee
2nd Report - Gridlock or growth? Avoiding energy planning chaos
Energy Security and Net Zero Committee
HC 868
Published 7 July 2025
Recommendations
22
Acknowledged
Require NESO to present further details on strategic energy plan consultation and engagement.
Recommendation
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 Summary
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
View Details →
23
Acknowledged
Expedite Secretary of State decisions and draft SSEP publication to protect public engagement timeline.
Recommendation
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 Summary
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
View Details →
41
Acknowledged
Publish equivalent guidance to Nature Scot’s on peatland, carbon-rich soils, and habitat management.
Recommendation
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 Summary
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
View Details →
Conclusions (7)
1
Conclusion
Acknowledged
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 schedule and carried out two oral evidence sessions on the …
Government Response Summary
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.
2
Conclusion
Acknowledged
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 in the Report would have been better, and more comprehensively, …
Government Response Summary
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.
3
Conclusion
Acknowledged
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 is disappointing that the current Government has failed to create …
Government Response Summary
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.
20
Conclusion
Acknowledged
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 options and locations, at an early stage of the development …
Government Response Summary
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.
28
Conclusion
Acknowledged
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 Summary
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.
39
Conclusion
Acknowledged
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 the Seventh Carbon Budget, it is surprising that the Government’s …
Government Response Summary
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.
42
Conclusion
Acknowledged
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 to whether projects might be expected to damage their own …
Government Response Summary
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.