Recommendation 39

In December 2020, the Government confirmed that the National Policy Statements for Energy, which were published in 2011, would need to be updated to reflect our transition away from fossil fuels and towards cleaner, greener sources of energy. We are disappointed that now, in 2023, the Government has not yet finalised these statements. The Government is consulting on material changes to the statements which reflect recent shifts in Government policy. These changes will also be subject to parliamentary scrutiny. Due to the delay in revising these statements, we urge the Government to make sure the remaining work is delivered at pace. In future, revisions to the NPS should take place in conjunction with changes to the Government’s forthcoming delivery plan, so that the two remain aligned.