ADE Calls for Urgent Action to Harness Wasted Energy as Planning Bill Enters Parliament

The Association for Decentralised Energy (ADE) today welcomed the introduction of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill in Parliament as a positive step toward accelerating vital infrastructure projects. However, while the Government’s reforms promise a major building boom and improved energy security, ADE insists that the clean energy revolution must go further by making every joule count.

The Bill, hailed by Ministers as enabling the “biggest building boom in a generation”, aims to streamline planning decisions for 1.5 million homes, fast-track clean energy projects like wind farms, and slash delays for grid upgrades. Key measures include a “first ready, first connected” grid access system to unblock renewable projects stuck in decade-long queues, community bill discounts for households near new pylons, and reforms to unlock £200 billion in clean energy investment.

The ADE warned that while speeding up grid connections and unblocking planning delays are critical, the UK cannot afford to ignore the staggering waste of energy already being produced.

Caroline Bragg, CEO of the ADE said "The Planning and Infrastructure Bill is a crucial milestone for our country, setting the stage for a new era of clean energy infrastructure. But even with more pylons, we will still waste significant amounts of our home-grown renewable electricity. To make planning reform worth it, we also need to modernise our system and allow consumers to save even more. We also need to get off volatile gas. We waste as much heat in the UK as we need for every home in the UK. Being smart about new energy infrastructure means connecting this wasted heat to our buildings. This is how we will lower bills, secure jobs, and truly drive our sustainable future."

While the Planning and Infrastructure Bill is set to speed up the construction of new infrastructure, ADE urges the Government to also adopt modern, flexible rules that fully harness the power and heat generated across the nation. Without urgent reforms to prioritise heat networks and demand-side solutions, households will continue paying for inefficiency. The sector stands ready to work with government to ensure the Planning Bill becomes a catalyst for a truly low-carbon future.