Gridlock or Growth? ESNZ committee sets out measures to end ‘energy planning chaos’ and unlock cleaner, cheaper power across the UK

• New guidance marks shift away from heavily oversubscribed, market-based system  

• Committee warns on developer failures to fulfil ecological and landscape commitments  

• Earlier community engagement with more developed and “nature-positive” infrastructure options could drive progress on national plans and targets 

• Committee recommends a clear presumption against building onshore wind infrastructure on deep peat, except where unavoidable 

In a report published today, the House of Commons Energy Security and Net Zero Committee recommends much clearer guidance to support planners and developers as the Government embarks on what the Committee describes as a “significant departure” from the existing market-based energy infrastructure system.

The Government inherited a “first come, first served” system of applications for connection to the national grid, leading to a queue that is seven to eight times oversubscribed relative to the number of projects that will ultimately be built. Projects in this queue are not prioritised by commercial, environmental or community viability - nor do they necessarily reflect where energy supply or storage is needed across the UK.

The Government and the National Energy System Operator (NESO) have been working quickly to set out national strategic plans - including the Clean Power 2030 Action Plan and the Strategic Spatial Energy Plan (SSEP) - designed to map energy need and direct infrastructure development accordingly.

However, the Committee warns that much greater clarity is now needed on how these strategic plans relate to grid connection decisions and the development consent process. While national plans should not pre-determine planning outcomes, they must inform them. Planning authorities, the Committee says, cannot remain “blind” to a project's realistic prospects of securing a grid connection. This should become a “material consideration” in the consent process.

The Committee also raises serious concerns about the failure of some developers to deliver ecological enhancements and landscape mitigations promised during the planning process. It describes this as indicative of “systemic failings” that risk bringing the planning system into disrepute. The report urges stronger enforcement and emphasises the value of “nature-positive” infrastructure that integrates, rather than offsets, environmental and energy goals. It notes that scientific evidence shows solar installations can support greater biodiversity than neighbouring farmland – yet current guidance on agricultural land use for solar projects remains “ambiguous and equivocal”.

The Committee recommends that NESO use strategic planning to foster earlier, deeper community engagement, well before the formal consent stage. While many local campaigns call for offshore or underground alternatives to transmission infrastructure, the Committee notes that these significantly more expensive options would ultimately be paid for by all billpayers – the majority of whom are not directly affected by the proposed routes.

Social research shows that when communities are properly engaged and presented with the full range of options and trade-offs, initial opposition can shift.

Such early engagement, the Committee argues, can help resolve complex judgments more quickly, enabling faster delivery of the UK's strategic energy plans and clean power infrastructure – and ensuring progress toward Net Zero targets.

Bill Esterson MP, Chair of the Committee, said: “If the Government gets planning for major energy projects right, we can move from gridlock to growth, delivering cleaner, cheaper energy to communities across the UK and moving to a more secure future.  

“That means early engagement and support for those hosting pylons, solar and wind farms. It means sorting out the balance between the need for a grid connection and securing planning consent. And it means consistency between different government plans. A successful strategic energy planning system is essential if we are to deliver the energy security and availability of cheap, clean power that people across the country need.”