Britain launches plan to ease development of clean energy projects
LONDON, Dec 13 (Reuters) - Britain on Friday launched a plan to make it easier for developers to build clean energy projects which it hopes will help the country meet its climate targets and create jobs.
Britain has a target to largely decarbonise its power sector by 2030 which will mean reducing its reliance on gas-fired power plants and rapidly increasing its renewable power capacity.
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The National Energy System Operator last month said reform of the system for connecting new projects to the grid, along with an overhaul to the planning process, would be needed for the target to be met.
"Billions of pounds of clean energy projects have been held up by a clogged-up planning system, and a dysfunctional power grid queue that means renewables projects cannot get online," the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) said in a statement.
Under the new plans onshore wind projects over 100 megawatts will be placed under the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project regime in England, making it easier for them to get planning consent.
It will also change the system for new projects to gain connection to the power grid by making sure slow-moving or stalled projects are removed from the queue to make room for viable ones.
To spur investment in new renewable projects Britain holds annual auctions, inviting developers to bid for government-backed price guarantees for the electricity produced, called Contracts for Difference (CfDs).
Under the new plans announced on Friday the government said these auctions would be expanded to enable projects to get funding agreed before their planning permission has been finalised which it said would help more projects get built.
(Reporting by Susanna Twidale, Editing by Angus MacSwan)