Speaking at the Good Growth Foundation, the Energy Secretary has set out sweeping reforms to potentially stabilise energy supply and improve renewable infrastructure.

The measures include the following, from use of public land for renewable generation, to revision to the BUS grant:

Greater use of the Public Estate, including using brownfield land, industrial sites and railway sites, will be opened up to host solar panels and wind turbines. This could unlock up to 10GW of capacity.

Plans to make it easier for people to switch to cheaper electric transport and heating, by making EV chargers, solar panels and heat pumps easier to install for renters, flat-dwellers and households without a driveway.

An increase to the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) grant for properties heated by oil and LPG, taking the total grant to £9,000.
Further details on Transitional Energy Certificates are being made available to provide greater certainty and clarity for industry looking to invest in already-explored areas near existing licensed fields, supporting a fair and managed transition.

An additional £100m of funding for the Social Housing Fund, subject to final approvals, will support the delivery of up to a total of 57,000 solar installations for households this financial year. Through the Social Housing Fund and social housing regulations in the Warm Homes Plan, this will help support up to a million homes in reaching EPC C.

Building on Great British Energy’s solar scheme, the Government is backing the company to extend support for more rooftop solar installations on a further 100 schools and colleges this year. With up to £40m of Government investment, subject to final approvals, Great British Energy will deliver new rooftop solar and renewable schemes.

Planning and land rules will be streamlined through an overhaul of planning, land access and Grid connection processes in an attempt to cut delays for grid upgrades and renewables and explore new routes for developers to build and connect their projects faster.

Ensuring that low-income households can benefit from plug-in solar through the Warm Homes Plan with an earmarked £25m to piloting support for plug-in panels in partnership with local authorities and mayors.

The timescales for some of these measures is unclear and will be subject o consultation, but the ‘direction of travel’ is clear.

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