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Increasing energy capacity

To meet the UK’s low carbon energy challenge, and due to the limitations of wind power, significantly more power will need to be generated over the next few decades.

One third of that increased generating capacity needs to be agreed and built over the next 15 years to 2025. 

To achieve this, six draft National Policy Statements have been published to guide planning decisions on energy infrastructure.

National Policy Statements (NPSs)

Have your say on the new proposals

• Energy consultation Opens new window

The NPSs will remove unnecessary planning delays facing large energy proposals. The new Infrastructure Planning Commission will use the NPSs to make planning decisions from next March.

Of the six NPSs, one covers the energy system as a whole, with one for each of the following areas:

• fossil fuels
  
• nuclear
  
• renewable energy
  
• transmission networks - cables etc
  
• oil and gas pipelines

Decisions on proposals bigger than 50 megawatts (or 100 megawatts for offshore wind) will be reduced from two years, sometimes much more, to one year.

The new system will also make it easier for the public and local communities to have their say.

Housing and Planning Minister John Healey said: "The National Policy Statements do what they say on the tin - they are Britain's policy blueprints within which the Infrastructure Planning Commission will run a faster and fairer planning system, with fuller public scrutiny of larger developments.

"Instead of major projects going through three, four, five separate applications, sometimes sequentially, there is now one single consent system, with one full expert and public examination. This includes new steps that require open public consultation before applications can even be submitted."

New nuclear power

Ten of the eleven sites suggested by industry have been found to be potentially suitable for new nuclear power stations by the end of 2025.

These are Bradwell, Braystones, Hartlepool, Heysham, Hinkley Point, Kirksanton, Oldbury, Sellafield, Sizewell and Wylfa.

Dungeness was nominated but has not been listed as there are concerns about the environmental impact on that site, including the threat of coastal erosion and increased flood risk.

Three alternative sites have also been identified for further consideration. These are Druridge Bay in Northumberland, Kingsnorth in Kent and Owston Ferry in South Yorkshire. 

Clean coal

With immediate effect, all new coal plants will have to show that they will demonstrate the full CCS chain (capture, transport and storage of CO2) before they are given planning permission.

Existing power stations already trying CCS technology are expected to use it for all their energy generation by 2025.

If CCS turns out not to be a practical way of reducing CO2 emissions, new regulations for managing emissions from coal power stations will be needed.

Have your say on UK energy

A public consultation on the draft NPSs has been launched.

If you want to have your say you have until 22 February 2010 to do so.

To find out more and to respond to the consultation, follow the link below.

• Energy infrastructure consultation Opens new window

Consultation events near you

Consultation events will be taking place across England and Wales over the next few months.

These local events will let you get involved and have your say on the NPS for energy.

Events will be held in the following places on these dates:

• 24 November 2009 - Peterborough
  
• 25 November 2009 - York
  
• 2 December 2009 - London
  
• 20 January 2010 - Cardiff
  
• 21 January 2010 - Exeter

• Find out more about consultation events for the NPS on energy Opens new window

More on Directgov

• National infrastructure projects - get involved (home and community section)

• The planning system (home and community section)

• Energy saving and generation (environment and greener living section)