Changes to Energy Infrastructure Planning Application Fees

The Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) is consulting on changes to application fees for energy infrastructure developments. The Government’s Clean Power 2030 Action Plan emphasises the need to accelerate energy infrastructure delivery and commits to expanding cost recovery mechanisms across relevant regimes to ensure that all organisations key to consenting have sustainable resourcing models to manage service demands. Moreover, HM Treasury’s guidance in Managing Public Money encourages departments to implement transparent and proportionate fee regimes that reflect the true cost of service delivery. DESNZ already charges fees for some of its planning functions, but they are not cost reflective and do not cover all functions. We are proposing the introduction of a comprehensive cost recovery model for the planning services that DESNZ provides. The core proposal of a fixed fee model for planning applications will generate rev