The UK Government Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has published a consultation on proposals to exempt energy storage from the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIP) regime in England and Wales. 1 These proposals have been welcomed by the Solar Trade Association (STA), as they will allow energy storage projects, such as battery plants, to be subject to a swifter, less costly planning process.
STA Chief Executive Chris Hewett said, “We are pleased to see that the government has taken our feedback on board. This is a promising step forward for enabling energy storage to be connected more swiftly, and giving local communities a stronger voice in determining which developments are right for them. Energy storage is safe, low-impact, and essential for delivering on the UK’s legally binding Net Zero commitments.”
- Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, ‘The planning system for electricity storage: follow up consultation’, https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/the-planning-system-for-electricity-storage-follow-up-consultation.