National Policy Statements for energy infrastructure
Energy National Policy Statements provide planning guidance for developers of nationally significant energy infrastructure projects.
The energy National Policy Statements cover:
- the overarching needs case for different types of energy infrastructure
- natural gas electricity generation
- renewable electricity generation
- gas and oil infrastructure
- electricity networks
- nuclear power generation
The guidance makes it easier for decision makers, applicants and the wider public to understand:
- government policy on the need for nationally significant infrastructure projects (NSIPs)
- how applications for energy infrastructure will be assessed
- the way in which impacts and mitigations will be judged
The 2023 revised NPSs (EN-1 to EN-5) came into force on 17 January 2024. The聽2011 version of EN-6聽has effect for listed nuclear projects capable of being deployed by the end of 2025. We are in the process of preparing a new NPS.
We launched a consultation on revised energy National Policy Statements (NPS) on 24 April 2025, with draft updates made to EN-1, EN-3 and EN-5.
National Policy Statements
Assessments
Consultations
We launched a consultation on 24 April 2025 on new revisions to the following NPSs:
- EN-1: Overarching National Policy Statement for energy
- EN-3: National Policy Statement for renewable energy infrastructure
- EN-5: National Policy Statement for electricity networks infrastructure
The response to the consultation on the draft of the new nuclear National Policy Statement (NPS) EN-7 will be published shortly.
Updates to this page
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Added link to new consultation on amendments to 3 energy NPSs.
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Added link to latest consultation on the Draft National Policy Statement for nuclear energy generation (EN-7).
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The 2023 revised NPSs (EN-1 to EN-5) came into force on 17 January 2024.
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First published.