The Planning and Infrastructure Bill was presented to parliament this week, setting out some of the measures that will be taken to ‘tackle blockers, get Britain building and unleash billions in economic growth’.
Alongside a raft of proposals to reform the planning system and speed up the building of 1.5 million homes, are various measures designed to remove some of the challenges associated with bringing clean energy infrastructure projects to fruition.
Most notably, this includes changing the way grid connections are prioritised. While NESO is currently consulting on its plans for grid queue reform, the Planning and Infrastructure Bill says a ‘first ready, first connected’ system will replace the current flawed ‘first come, first served’ approach.
The government says this could unlock growth with £200 billion of investment, while protecting households from the rollercoaster of fossil fuel markets.
Other energy-related measures outlined in the bill include:
- Streamlining the process to install EV charging infrastructure
- A new scheme to unlock billions of pounds of investment in long duration electricity storage (LDES) to store renewable power and deliver the first major projects in four decades
- Changes to the outdated planning rules for electricity infrastructure in Scotland that will streamline the consent process to enable decisions to be made faster
- An extension to the generator commissioning period 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.
- Allowing forestry authorities in England and Wales, including the Forestry Commission, to bring forward development proposals, on the land they manage, relating to the generation of electricity from renewable sources– and to sell resulting electricity.
Industry reactions to the plans
A number of businesses in the renewable energy sector have commented on the proposals. You can read some of those below. If you have a different opinion and would like to share it, please email linda@renewableenergyinstaller.co.uk.
A positive step towards accelerating infrastructure – ADE
The Association for Decentralised Energy has welcomed the bill, but insists the clean energy revolution must go further by making every joule count. It warns that while speeding up grid connections and unblocking planning delays are critical, the UK cannot afford to ignore ‘the staggering waste’ of energy already being produced.
Caroline Bragg, ADE CEO, said: “The Planning and Infrastructure Bill is a crucial milestone for our country, setting the stage for a new era of clean energy infrastructure. But even with more pylons, we will still waste significant amounts of our home-grown renewable electricity.
“To make planning reform worth it, we also need to modernise our system and allow consumers to save even more. We also need to get off volatile gas. We waste as much heat in the UK as we need for every home in the UK.
“Being smart about new energy infrastructure means connecting this wasted heat to our buildings. This is how we will lower bills, secure jobs, and truly drive our sustainable future.”
‘Oven-ready projects are critical’ – Apatura
Apatura has the largest energy storage pipeline in Scotland and builds battery electric storage sites across the country with the aim of supporting its burgeoning data centre industry, and putting an end to expensive energy curtailment costs.
Giles Hanglin, CEO at Apatura, said: “With the grid queue oversubscribed and hundreds of projects in limbo, upgrading our infrastructure must be smarter, not just focused on scale.
“When connecting critical infrastructure like battery storage sites, the key factor must be project readiness, and the new ‘first ready, first connected’ approach is a welcome change.
“This means projects that have secured land rights, advanced planning status and full planning consent, will be prioritised – the majority of renewable energy projects are in this state, and it would be a mistake to hold them in the connection queue any longer.
“Having a resilient energy system is essential for the UK to grow its renewable energy capabilities, achieve net zero aims and underpin economic growth – including new industries of the future – and achieve greater energy independence and security.
“These oven-ready projects are critical to rewiring and upgrading the UK’s energy system to harness its vast renewable resources and achieve greater energy independence and security.”
‘Reform is significant and overdue’ – EA Technology
EA Technology focuses exclusively on low voltage management, improving resilience for new and existing energy networks.
CTO Dave A. Roberts, said:“Planning reform is significant and overdue. Having a resilient energy system is essential for the UK to grow its renewable energy capabilities, achieve net zero aims, underpin economic growth – including new industries of the future – and achieve greater energy independence and security.
“Today’s bill rightly focuses on the UK’s transmission network. But we must also consider the country’s ‘last mile’ distribution networks that directly connect our homes and businesses.
“To date, the UK’s done an exceptional job in using these assets to their full potential. But as the government looks to build significant numbers of new homes and encourage new low-carbon technologies like electric vehicles and heat pumps, we should take care to invest in and upgrade the distribution networks as well.”
‘Modernised power grid is essential – LG Business Solutions
Vishavjeet Sodhi, Head of Heating & Cooling Business UK & Ireland at LG Business Solutions, said: “Addressing building blockers in the planning system clears a major hurdle in the net zero race. Simplifying and cutting red tape will allow more energy-efficient homes to be built, which can be warmed by heat pumps and other renewable energy sources.
“A modernised power grid is also essential if we are to meet the higher loads demanded by the growing electrification of homes and businesses. Upgrading transmission infrastructure will meet increased demand – and improving energy storage means renewable sources like wind and solar can be distributed efficiently and reliably.
“Ultimately it is these advancements that will give businesses and consumers the confidence to transition to sustainable heating solutions, supporting the UK’s clean-energy future.”
Image credit: Dreamstime
