National Grid is calling for reforms to the planning system, centred on a strategic clean energy vision, if the UK is to achieve a target of decarbonising the power system by 2035.
In a new report, “Delivering for 2035: Upgrading the grid for a secure, clean and affordable energy future”, National Grid said that decarbonising the power system by then “requires a fundamental step-change” in the scale and pace of delivering new electricity network infrastructure.
It has highlighted five key areas where action is needed to transform the UK electricity networks.
The first priority area is to reform the planning system, which would required finalise the National Policy Statements by the summer, as an immediate first step, to ensure they provide “greater clarity and authority on the need, pace and urgency of energy related Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs)”.
The other planning related measures include streamlining the current consenting process for major energy projects, including through shortened decision timescales and alignment with the regulatory regime and establishing a “Strategic Spatial Energy Plan” by 2025 that sets out what needs to be built, where, and when.
The second area is to ensure the regulatory and governance framework is set up for delivery, including reviewing the current suite of regulators’ objectives and duties and clarification of roles and responsibilities across the institutions accountable for the energy transition.
The report also wants a strengthening of Ofgem’s statutory duties to explicitly support the delivery of net zero and resilience.
In the third area, concerning a transformation in how clean energy connects to the grid to accelerate net zero projects, National Grid wants a shift from a “first come, first served” to “connect or move” connections process with tighter thresholds for those applying for connections, and moving projects that cannot connect out of the pipeline so as not to block or delay others.
The National Grid also suggests development of strategic “capacity hubs”, enabling a more coordinated and innovative approach to connections with capacity needs identified via a spatial plan and creation of a fast-track connection route for critical net zero projects, prioritising those areas where the economic value could be greatest.
Responding to the report, RenewableUK’s director of future electricity systems Barnaby Wharton said: “Reforming the planning system to make it more agile is long overdue to ensure that decisions about clean energy infrastructure are taken faster more swiftly.
“We can’t carry on waiting for up to 10 years to connect new projects to the grid at a time when we should be prioritising Britain’s energy security.
“Instead, we need to anticipate where grid is going to be needed, so infrastructure is in place as soon as it’s required.
“Giving Ofgem a new mandate to put delivering net zero at the heart of every decision it takes will help revolutionise the speed at which the UK could build a grid that is fit for purpose in the 21st Century.”