The UK Government is aiming to promote more clean energy projects for grid connections as part of its Planning and Infrastructure Bill.
As part of its clean power by 2030 plans, the Bill will prioritise new transmission infrastructure with the desire to unlock up to £200bn of investment.
One of its plans in the Bill also includes replacing street works licences with permits to accelerate the rollout of EV charge points and make it easier to install on public roads and streets.
In addition, projects including solar farms and new factories are currently facing waiting up to a decade for connection under a ‘first come, first served’ process. But the government is now aiming to replace what it describes as “speculative” projects that are “clogging up the queue” with clean power schemes that are ready-to-go.
Decisions for onshore and offshore wind, solar power, electricity grids, hydrogen, carbon capture and nuclear power stations will now be fast-tracked to accelerate growth, which the government hopes will create thousands of new jobs, adding billions to the UK economy, and delivering more clean energy.
New measures will speed up the approval process by making consultation “less burdensome”, and strengthening guidance to expert bodies and local authorities about their role in the process, as well as updating National Policy Statements at least every five years to reflect government priorities for infrastructure delivery.
This will support the government’s pledge to make planning decisions on at least 150 major infrastructure projects, including wind, solar, and hydrogen, in this Parliament.
Other plans in the Bill, which is being brought before Parliament this week, includes:
- Those living within 500m of new pylons will get discounts up to £2,500 on their electricity bills.
- Ofgem will deliver a ‘cap and floor’ scheme to unlockinvestment in long duration electricity storage (LDES) to store renewable power.
- Changes to planning rules for new clean electricity infrastructure in Scotland, cutting delays to the process while ensuring local voices are still heard.
- An extension to the generator commissioning period (GCC) from 18 to 27 months to reduce the number of offshore wind farms requiring exemptions when applying for licences to connect to onshore cables and substations.
- Changes to rules around attempts to block major infrastructure through the courts.
Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary Angela Rayner, said:
“Time and again blockers have been allowed to halt progress at every turn which has weakened our energy security and left our country exposed to soaring energy bills for working people, families and businesses. This cannot and will not continue under my watch.
“Through our landmark Planning and Infrastructure Bill we’re taking bold action to fix the broken planning system, paving the way for us to get Britain building more vital infrastructure so our children and grandchildren can grow up in a more energy secure world.”
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said:
“The only way to get Britain off dependency on fossil fuel markets controlled by dictators is with clean homegrown power that we control.
“By taking on a broken planning system that puts the brakes on growth, this Government is driving forward with our clean energy superpower mission and Plan for change
“Every turbine, every solar panel, every cable we connect helps protect families and paves the way for a new era of clean energy for our country.”
Responding to the Bill, Trevor Hutchings, Chief Executive of the Renewable Energy Association (REA), said:
“Moving to a renewable energy system strengthens our national security, supports jobs and economic growth and helps head off disastrous climate change. But we must bring the public with us and therefore I welcome the government’s proposal to introduce energy bill discounts for those living near new energy infrastructure. This and other measures in the new Planning and Infrastructure Bill – including new powers to enable long duration energy storage – will help us achieve a clean energy system and unleash the net zero dividend for all consumers.”
Industry reaction:
A spokesperson from Energy Networks Association (ENA), which represents the UK’s energy network operators, said:
“We’re pleased the Government has taken steps towards reforms that will speed-up the planning process for network infrastructure and make it fairer and faster for everyone. Today the UK’s planning process represents a significant brake on progress towards the UK’s decarbonisation goals and the delivery of significant infrastructure projects, so an overhaul is welcome.
“We are also glad to see the continued focus on shifting towards a ‘first ready, first connected’ system for grid connection applications – something that energy networks are already working to achieve. We look forward to working with government as more details emerge.”
Vicky Edmonds, CEO of EVA England, commented:
“It’s great to see the Government tackling barriers to installing electric vehicle charge points. Making it easier, cheaper, and faster to install public chargers is essential to accelerate the EV transition. High public charging costs remain a major barrier, with three in four drivers from our recent survey identifying this as the biggest challenge, so we welcome efforts to cut costs and speed up grid connections. We also urge the Government to use this Bill as an opportunity to expand cross-pavement charging solutions, allowing those without off-street parking to charge at home and benefit from cheaper electricity rates.”
Christopher Hammond, Chief Executive of UK100, says:
“If we don’t plan for net zero, we won’t get to net zero. The current system hasn’t been working for anybody, whether it’s delivering clean energy or warm homes. This landmark legislation is a chance to put that right, supporting local authorities to achieve their ambitions.
“Ultimately, these reforms will depend on local planning functions being adequately resourced. The government’s own figures show the stark reality of the fiscal deficit and backlog of applications already in the queue. Councils will welcome fee reform, but additional powers to ring-fence planning fees would be better to address the chronic understaffing caused by the difficulty in attracting and retaining senior planners.
“There is a lot to like in the proposed bill. Whether it’s speeding up the local plan process, the return of strategic spatial planning or prioritising energy projects to get on stream. These will bring a lot to the table for approving sustainable development and easing the bureaucratic burden on councils. It’s also welcome to see clarity on bill discounts communities will see from shouldering future energy infrastructure projects. But we hope this is the start of the debate on community benefits and not the end.”
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