Electricity Storage Consultation results and follow-up consultation

Consultation outcome | The treatment of electricity storage within the planning systemThe consultation sought views on the following: to retain the 50MW Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIP) threshold that applies to standalone storage projects to amend the Planning Act 2008 to establish a new NSIP capacity threshold for composite projects including storage and another form of generation, such that a composite project would only fall under the NSIP regime where either the capacity of the storage element is more than 50MW or the capacity excluding any electricity storage is more than 50MWDetail of outcomeBased on the responses and evidence received, the government is conducting a follow up consultation on proposals to carve out electricity storage, except pumped hydro, from the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIP) regime in England and Wales.The follow up consultation contains the summary of responses and government response to this consultation. It also includes an annex containing a preliminary analysis of the potential costs and benefits of our proposals. Draft legislation implementing the proposal has been published alongside the follow up consultation (details below). Find out more by clicking here.The planning system for electricity storage: follow up consultationBased on the responses and evidence received, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) are now running a follow up consultation on proposals to carve out electricity storage, except pumped hydro, from the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIP) regime in England and Wales. This new consultation contains a summary of responses and the government’s response to the first consultation.Under the proposals this type of storage would generally be consented by the relevant Local Planning Authority in England. Decisions for such projects of any size in Wales would generally fall to be consented by the relevant Local Planning Authority under the TCPA regime, whereas currently this is only the case for electricity storage (except pumped hydro) below 350MW.The proposals outlined within this consultation apply to England and Wales only.BEIS have included a preliminary analysis of the potential costs and benefits of the proposals, and have published draft legislation implementing the proposal.The consultation will close on 10 December 2019.