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
40
Rejected
Amend onshore wind guidance (EN-3) to presume against deep peat development and require carbon reporting.
Recommendation
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 …
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Government Response Summary
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 are sufficient.
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
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Conclusions (1)
9
Conclusion
Rejected
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 Summary
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.