RenewableUK is responding the new Bills announced in the Queen’s Speech today, highlighting the need for changes in planning and energy policies to support the ambitions set out in the British Energy Security Strategy last month. 

The Government has announced two key bills that can enable the UK to meet its energy security and net zero targets, the Energy Bill and Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill. The latter will reform the planning system, which is vital for hitting the UK’s target of 50GW offshore wind by 2030. At present, it can take over ten years to fully develop an offshore wind farm from start to finish and waiting times for decisions on planning permission can take up to four years. 

The Energy Bill will, among other measures, establish a new Future System Operation to take over the functions of National Grid ESO and have a wider remit to provide ‘strategic oversight across electricity and gas systems [and] drive progress towards net zero, energy security and minimising consumer costs’. This future planning function is a key missing piece from our net zero framework and should enable speedier investment in grids and networks.

Responding to the Queen’s Speech Dan McGrail, CEO of RenewableUK, said: 
“It’s vital that new legislation announced in the Queen’s Speech enables us to build cheap new renewable energy more quickly, as speed is key to boosting home-grown energy and cutting bills for consumers. Government has put low carbon power at the heart of Britain’s Energy Security Strategy, including a target of quadrupling offshore wind by 2030, so we need to ensure that the frameworks for planning and connecting new energy projects supports this target, as well as longer-term growth needed for net zero”.

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