Renewable energy planning barriers
Planning system failing to adequately support critical infrastructure like onshore wind projects, hindering new capacity development.
Strongest theme matches
Mixed across source types and ranked by classifier confidence plus text match strength.
Committee recommendation
100match
#44 - 1st Report - Long-duration energy storage: get on with it
The planning system must be reformed and sufficiently resourced to deal with the additional strain on it from new energy projects. It must recognise storage for its own value for energy system resilience by the end of 2024. The Government, working closely with Ofgem, should identify and set out the regulatory barriers to storage project developments and explain...
Matched on
terms: barrier, energy, planning
Committee recommendation
94match
#18 - 1st Report - Get connected: How community energy can turbocharge the transition
GB Energy’s new advisory service does not contain a dedicated planning function, despite the planning system being one of the most significant barriers our evidence identified. Our view is that it should. Planning constitutes both legal and technical expertise as referenced in the Secretary of State’s letter of instruction to GB Energy. (Recommendation, Paragraph 68) Shared Ownership
Matched on
terms: barrier, energy, planning
Committee recommendation
89match
#31 - Second Report - Environmental change and food security
Controlled environment agriculture has the potential to provide a fresh year-round supply of foods that are usually imported and to minimise the environmental impact of the production of such foods, so long as it can use renewable energy wherever possible. We welcome the Government’s plans to review the planning permission process to support new developments of vertical farms,...
Matched on
terms: energy, planning, renewable
Committee recommendation
86match
#9 - 2nd Report - Zero sum game: How the UK can reframe the energy transition
We heard compelling evidence that climate change poses a growing threat to UK food production and food security. Yet public concern about the use of farmland for solar development appears to be greater than concern about the impact of climate change on the land itself. Those opposing renewable infrastructure have been more effective at mobilising concerns about food...
Matched on
terms: energy, renewable
Committee recommendation
82match
#43 - 1st Report - Long-duration energy storage: get on with it
We have heard that obtaining planning permission for energy storage facilities can be difficult and add significantly to timelines. It is not clear that the planning system has distinct guidance for energy storage facilities as opposed to energy generation. There currently is no regulatory licensing regime for the onshore storage of hydrogen, so developers need additional guidance from...
Matched on
terms: energy, planning
Committee recommendation
82match
#20 - 1st Report - Long-duration energy storage: get on with it
The Government should, as soon as possible, identify a portfolio of “no-regrets” investments into long-duration energy storage projects. This should include commissioning a pilot project that combines onsite electrolysis, hydrogen storage in salt caverns (on the scale of hundreds of GWh) and electricity generation from hydrogen. Ideally, this should be a part of, or close to, the existing...
Matched on
terms: energy, planning
Committee recommendation
82match
#18 - 1st Report - Long-duration energy storage: get on with it
If unabated natural gas is to play a role, the Government must explain how this is compatible with climate change targets, in particular the Sixth Carbon budget and a decarbonised electricity system by 2035. If it will not pursue a strategic reserve, it must explain how the energy system will respond to shortfalls of renewable generation such as...
Matched on
terms: energy, renewable
Committee recommendation
82match
#6 - 1st Report - Long-duration energy storage: get on with it
The Government should, as a matter of urgency, set an explicit minimum target for how much “no-regrets” long-duration energy storage and generating capacity it wants to see operational by 2035. It should set out a credible timescale with interim milestones for achieving this that works backwards from 2035, accounting for decision time, planning and consenting, and construction of...
Matched on
terms: energy, planning
Committee recommendation
82match
#1 - 1st Report - Long-duration energy storage: get on with it
Energy storage can provide benefits to the grid. It can reduce curtailment and grid congestion, avoiding wasting energy and reducing the cost of renewable electricity. Energy storage facilities provide power that can be turned on and off at will, enhancing grid flexibility. Long-duration energy storage therefore reduces costs elsewhere in the system and allows a greater proportion of...
Matched on
terms: energy, renewable
Committee recommendation
82match
#14 - 1st Report - Get connected: How community energy can turbocharge the transition
The National Planning Policy Framework needs to be reviewed to enable local authorities and planners to differentiate community energy projects from commercial developers in planning application processes. There is a need for more clarity on what projects should be prioritised and supported and whether local planners might consider local benefits from community energy projects. (Conclusion, Paragraph 64)
Matched on
terms: energy, planning
Committee recommendation
78match
#15 - 1st Report - Long-duration energy storage: get on with it
The funding allocated to this business model must be sufficient to support deployment at scale, in line with its aim to balance the overall system, and the Government should outline the scale of funding that will be associated with its support schemes. We recommend that minimum targets for the overall long-duration energy storage capacity the model should support...
Matched on
terms: energy
Committee recommendation
78match
#16 - 1st Report - Get connected: How community energy can turbocharge the transition
Energy planning is too important to hope that local planners have the capacity and knowledge to deliver to national targets. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero must ensure stronger coordination between NESO high-level spatial planning strategies and local energy planning to ensure alignment between objectives. The government should allocate greater funding for dedicated roles within local...
Matched on
terms: energy, planning
Committee recommendation
78match
#15 - 1st Report - Get connected: How community energy can turbocharge the transition
The Government must, this year, alter the National Planning Policy Framework to allow for community benefits from community energy to be material considerations in planning application processes. The current NPPF’s definition of community-led development would be a good starting point for determining how community energy could be prioritised within the Framework. We recommend that community energy policy uses...
Matched on
terms: energy, planning
Committee recommendation
78match
#13 - 1st Report - Get connected: How community energy can turbocharge the transition
The Government and Ofgem must agree a regulatory definition and clear criteria for community energy projects to allow them to be differentiated from commercial developers. (Recommendation, Paragraph 50) Planning
Matched on
terms: energy, planning
Committee recommendation
77match
#55 - 1st Report - New Towns: Commit and Build
High standards for water and energy consumption and supply must be embedded in the terms of reference for new town delivery vehicles. This provides a unique opportunity for innovative solutions such as grey water systems, and rainwater harvesting. 56 Q 35 (John Marsh) 57 Written evidence from the Royal Institute of British Architects ( NTB0024 ), Dr Tariq...
Matched on
terms: energy, planning
Committee recommendation
77match
#94 - 1st Report - EV strategy: rapid recharge needed
We recommend that the Government designate low-carbon and renewable energy generation projects as strategically important net zero projects and fast track their progress through permitting and grid connection to achieve a decarbonised electricity grid as soon as possible and to support consumer confidence in EVs as a low-carbon technology.
Matched on
terms: energy, renewable
Committee recommendation
77match
#93 - 1st Report - EV strategy: rapid recharge needed
We welcome recent announcements to improve queue management for transmission projects and to speed up the time needed to build new transmission infrastructure. However, these still do not allow for strategic prioritisation of low-carbon or renewable energy projects ahead of other energy generation. In order for the positive environmental impact of EVs to be maximised, they need to...
Matched on
terms: energy, renewable
Committee recommendation
74match
#63 - 1st Report - Long-duration energy storage: get on with it
The Review of Electricity Market Arrangements and decisions on locational pricing should be concluded swiftly to avoid any disruptions to investment. It should ideally include a mechanism to introduce locational incentives for industrial and energy storage projects to build in favourable locations for overall grid management, alongside interventions to shield domestic consumers from price variations. We recommend that...
Matched on
terms: energy
Committee recommendation
74match
#45 - 1st Report - Long-duration energy storage: get on with it
As with many other Net Zero ambitions, the availability of relevant skills, including all types of engineers and particularly those with experience of hydrogen, will be a barrier to scaling up technologies.
Matched on
terms: barrier, energy
Committee recommendation
74match
#26 - 1st Report - Long-duration energy storage: get on with it
The Government should set out in its response to this report how it intends to obtain sufficient electrolyser capacity to meet its hydrogen production targets and ensure its approach supports domestic manufacture and research and development.
Matched on
terms: energy
Committee recommendation
73match
#9 - 4th Report - UK-EU relations a decade on
The current electricity trading arrangements with the EU have caused market inefficiencies and increased UK energy costs. Reducing these costs through an agreement with the EU will provide significant benefits to UK businesses and consumers and support the broader UK and EU energy transitions towards renewables. (Conclusion, Paragraph 30)
Matched on
terms: energy, renewable
Committee recommendation
70match
#60 - 1st Report - Long-duration energy storage: get on with it
The Future System Operator needs to be sufficiently empowered and resourced to develop a credible plan. As it does so, it must identify the key strategic, infrastructure and investment decisions that the plan entails. These decisions must then be made swiftly by the Government, which must then commit to ensure every actor in the system is working to...
Matched on
terms: energy
Committee recommendation
70match
#57 - 1st Report - Long-duration energy storage: get on with it
There is an urgent need for key strategic decisions and investment into the transportation networks for both electricity and hydrogen. These network decisions should support the deployment of large-scale long-duration energy storage and a strategic energy reserve. These decisions should be communicated as part of the Strategic Spatial Energy Plan and delivered by a cross-departmental Ministerial Working Group,...
Matched on
terms: energy
Committee recommendation
70match
#22 - 1st Report - Long-duration energy storage: get on with it
The Government should work with Centrica to understand its proposed project to repurpose the Rough gas storage facility for hydrogen, with a view to determining, by the end of 2024, whether it will support this project.
Matched on
terms: energy
Committee recommendation
70match
#19 - 1st Report - Long-duration energy storage: get on with it
Although many of the components of a facility used to generate, store and convert hydrogen back into electricity are technologically mature, there are no facilities that do all three at scale in the UK. A large-scale demonstrator could help to “de-risk” investment by serving as a successful model for later projects to follow. The Committee welcomes the announcement...
Matched on
terms: energy
Committee recommendation
70match
#13 - 1st Report - Long-duration energy storage: get on with it
The economics of long-duration energy storage projects are challenging and they will require additional financial support mechanisms. Our witnesses generally favoured a cap and floor mechanism, and we are pleased to see the Government is actively consulting on introducing one. The Government has also stated that it is “minded to” provide a revenue floor for hydrogen transportation and...
Matched on
terms: energy
Committee recommendation
66match
#25 - 1st Report - Long-duration energy storage: get on with it
Meeting hydrogen targets will require substantial additional electrolyser capacity, which could become a serious production bottleneck for hydrogen if not addressed. We heard that there is strong international competition for such capacity, notably from the EU and US which have significant hydrogen subsidies.
Matched on
terms: energy
Committee recommendation
66match
#23 - 1st Report - Long-duration energy storage: get on with it
We welcome the Government’s ambitious target for 10 GW of clean hydrogen by 2030. However, clarity over the role of hydrogen is needed to decide on key details of storage and transportation infrastructure. Credible forecasts of demand for hydrogen would help investors to commit. We heard that decarbonising hydrogen-using industries and long-duration energy storage are good uses for...
Matched on
terms: energy
Committee recommendation
66match
#14 - 1st Report - Long-duration energy storage: get on with it
The Government should, as a matter of urgency, finalise and set out the details of its business models to support commercial long-duration energy storage. We recommend that cap and floor support mechanisms are designed to support technologies that supply energy across different timescales, recognising the distinction between those that store energy for up to 24 hours and those...
Matched on
terms: energy
Committee recommendation
66match
#11 - 1st Report - Long-duration energy storage: get on with it
There are long lead-in times for delivering energy storage—typically estimated around 7–10 years for most technologies. If the Government waits until there is a clear picture of exactly how supply, demand and the energy system will evolve, it cannot possibly develop storage in time for a decarbonised grid by 2035.
Matched on
terms: energy
Committee recommendation
66match
#2 - 1st Report - Long-duration energy storage: get on with it
Domestic energy storage is not just about a resilient decarbonised grid—it is about the security and stability of the whole economy. The global energy crisis that began in 2021 has been an object lesson in the UK’s vulnerability to global wholesale energy price fluctuations, and the consequent effects on inflation. The UK had less storage capacity than comparator...
Matched on
terms: energy
Committee recommendation
66match
#12 - 1st Report - Get connected: How community energy can turbocharge the transition
The 8 GW target explicitly recognises the central role of community energy in the Clean Power Mission. A commitment to delivering it requires shifting away from ownership agnosticism to grant community energy a special status and help community energy projects navigate complex grid connection processes. The Government must immediately give Ofgem, NESO, DNOs, and GB Energy clear mandates...
Matched on
terms: energy
Committee recommendation
65match
#88 - 1st Report - New Towns: Commit and Build
Mr Hopkins thought that standardisation would not necessarily lead to conformity in aesthetic design for the new towns. 155 Standardising core parts of construction like energy performance expectations and building codes would have no effect on the visual identity of new towns and be imperceptible to most individuals. Dr Tariq Umar, an academic at the University of the...
Matched on
terms: energy
Committee recommendation
62match
#62 - 1st Report - Long-duration energy storage: get on with it
The Committee welcomes the Review of Electricity Market Arrangements, although we note with concern that the second consultation, outlining initial reforms, is overdue from an original deadline of 2023. Variable electricity pricing, including pricing that varies by location, could help incentivise industry and energy storage to build in optimal locations and make use of energy at optimal times....
Matched on
terms: energy
Committee recommendation
62match
#21 - 1st Report - Long-duration energy storage: get on with it
We heard that there could be some scope for repurposing gas storage facilities to store hydrogen in the future. This is at a lower technology readiness level than purpose-built salt caverns for storing hydrogen, which have been deployed before, but may be faster to develop.
Matched on
terms: energy
Committee recommendation
61match
#48 - 1st Report - New Towns: Commit and Build
Distinct new towns on greenfield sites are a blank slate for developers, making it more straightforward to integrate best practice for managing water and energy demand into their design. 76 Urban extensions have a different advantage: as much of the infrastructure is already in place, the volume of new utility connections needed is reduced. 77
Matched on
terms: energy
Committee recommendation
61match
#9 - 1st Report - New Towns: Commit and Build
High standards for water and energy consumption and supply must be embedded in the terms of reference for new town delivery vehicles. This provides a unique opportunity for innovative solutions such as grey water systems, and rainwater harvesting . (Paragraph 55) Construction skills
Matched on
terms: energy
Committee recommendation
61match
#192 - 2nd Report - The impact of environmental regulations on development
The Government should ensure that existing planning consents, which cannot be commenced because of an inability to clear conditions owing to new advice under the habitats regulations, are automatically extended for a further three years.
Matched on
terms: planning
Committee recommendation
61match
#184 - 2nd Report - The impact of environmental regulations on development
Overlaps between planning and permitting result in some developers facing lengthy waits for permits to address issues which have already been considered in the planning system. This is specifically in respect to the definition of waste and how this relates to soils and construction and demolition arisings.” 240 Box 9: Redevelopment site containing red shale A development site...
Matched on
terms: planning
Committee recommendation
57match
#191 - 2nd Report - The impact of environmental regulations on development
This requirement is stalling developments across the country. 245 Developments which had planning permission in place before advice such as water neutrality was issued must now undertake additional assessments and source mitigation before they can commence development. The owners of these sites face all the challenges in availability and costs that we outline above regarding mitigation schemes, compounded...
Matched on
terms: planning
Committee recommendation
57match
#186 - 2nd Report - The impact of environmental regulations on development
The interaction between planning permission and permitting is causing delays on some sites, with a specific impact on the development of brownfield land. The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities should work with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to review planning and permitting requirements for brownfield land and eliminate overlap. This should include checks...
Matched on
terms: planning
Committee recommendation
57match
#4 - 2nd Report - The impact of environmental regulations on development
Too many local planning authorities do not have an up-to-date local plan. Given the importance of local plans in balancing ambitions for development and the need to protect the environment, the Government should ensure that all local planning authorities have the necessary resources and information to produce a plan. It should explore legislative or legal routes to enforce...
Matched on
terms: planning
Committee recommendation
53match
#101 - 1st Report - EV strategy: rapid recharge needed
We recommend that the Government review the planning regulations for the upgrade of power lines and simplify the process where possible to speed up upgrades, particularly in rural communities while still ensuring proper protection of the environment and heritage.
Matched on
terms: planning
Committee recommendation
53match
#100 - 1st Report - EV strategy: rapid recharge needed
The Committee heard that under current planning regulations, the full planning and land rights process is triggered even for small amounts of upgrade work. This process can be further delayed if landowners do not reach a negotiated settlement. All of this can add significant delays to relatively straightforward upgrade work.
Matched on
terms: planning
PHSO casework decision
51match
P-001657 - Office of Gas and Electricity Markets
Ofgem refused four applications under the Non-Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme, not accepting planning permission evidence, which prevented business expansion.
Matched on
terms: planning, renewable
Committee recommendation
45match
#193 - 2nd Report - The impact of environmental regulations on development
The Government should remove the need for a habitats regulations assessment to be undertaken for post-permission approvals for at least three years and for longer where development has been substantially started within the appropriate timescales for the development. Clarity and Guidance
Matched on
classifier match
Committee recommendation
45match
#190 - 2nd Report - The impact of environmental regulations on development
This interpretation of the law could mean that, in some cases, a permission already given will be lost because tests that did not apply at the time that it was granted have been applied retrospectively. As the Ministerial statement made clear, this means that “… development that previously was lawfully screened out at the permission stage cannot now...
Matched on
classifier match
Committee recommendation
45match
#32 - 2nd Report - The impact of environmental regulations on development
Statutory consultees should ensure sufficient resource is available for them to work with developers to address issues raised during the statutory process in a timely manner .
Matched on
classifier match
Committee recommendation
45match
#27 - 2nd Report - The impact of environmental regulations on development
We were pleased to discover that there is a Ministerial Taskforce on Nutrient Neutrality. We do not know what its remit and objectives are. It is disappointing that such cross-governmental working was not in place before housebuilding was effectively halted across 14 per cent of the country’s land area.
Matched on
classifier match
Committee recommendation
45match
#25 - 2nd Report - The impact of environmental regulations on development
Restructuring Defra’s arm’s-length bodies could distract from the Government’s targets for 2030. Nonetheless overlap between the agencies must be reduced to deliver the best value for money and reduce delays and confusion for developers.
Matched on
classifier match