Insights for the decarbonised electricity system: journeys through planning

This initiative between the Aldersgate Group, Renewable UK, and CPRE, the countryside charity aims to examine how the planning system needs to change to achieve net zero while protecting landscapes and communities’ right to input. The project is specifically focused on the planning system for onshore Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIP).

Significant new energy infrastructure is required to enable the transition to a net zero power system. To deliver its clean power mission, the Labour government intends to ramp up onshore wind, solar power, and offshore wind by 2030. To achieve this scale of change, stakeholders throughout the planning process must agree the right approach to accelerating rollout while considering community, environmental and landscape impacts.

The interim findings of this collaborative project outline what is currently working well, alongside the challenges currently hindering progress on delivering new critical power infrastructure. Key challenges identified include a lack of strategic planning, a need for joined-up policy, and improved public engagement. These challenges are compounded by a lack of resources across the system and difficulties around access to data, as well as systemic inefficiencies, uncertainty and a need to better manage trade-offs for developers, environmental groups and communities.