Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what the minimum threshold of power generation is for a solar park to meet the standard required for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project designation.

For a solar park to be designated as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project, the minimum threshold of power generation is currently 50 megawatts. Consent for a solar project under 50 megawatts is applied for under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990. In 2024, the Government consulted on whether to raise this threshold and has announced its intention to legislate to increase the threshold for solar projects determined under the NSIP planning regime from 50MW to 100MW.