Hot on the heels of its commitment to double onshore wind by 2030 and immediately lift the de facto ban on onshore wind development in the UK, the new UK Government has further demonstrated its commitment to accelerating the country's path to net zero by announcing the creation of a new ‘Mission Control’ clean power taskforce.

Headed up by Chris Stark, former Chief Executive of the Climate Change Committee, the new 'Mission Control' clean energy taskforce is charged with “turbocharging UK to clean power by 2030” and is set to tackle a wide range of issues, including planning policy and grid connectivity, with the aim of successfully decarbonising electricity in the UK by 2030.

Simultaneously, the Electricity System Operator has been tasked with guiding the new taskforce on an effective path to its 2030 ambitions, specifically advising on and analysing infrastructure investment and location requirements for new projects.

The UK Government has also confirmed its aim to establish the National Electricity System Operator (NESO) (the new Independent System Operator and Planner (ISOP)) created under the Energy Act 2024) by the end of 2024. Once established, NESO will hold responsibilities across both the electricity and gas systems to help meet the UK's net zero targets, whilst maintaining energy security and minimising costs (see our recent briefing Energy Act 2023: System Operation and Energy Code Governance, for more detail).

These policy announcements signal a shift in focus in the UK's energy policy and will be welcome news to UK renewable projects.