Terra Firma Energy – 14 January 2026

Planning approvals for renewable energy projects in Great Britain surged to record levels in 2025, with more than 45GW of battery, wind and solar capacity approved. That figure is almost double the 23GW approved in 2024—an increase of 96%—and represents enough potential capacity to supply power to nearly 13 million homes.

New analysis from Cornwall Insight shows that the surge has been driven primarily by battery storage and offshore wind. Battery storage approvals rose sharply to 28.6GW, up from 14.9GW the year before, while offshore wind approvals jumped from 1.3GW to 9.9GW. Together, these technologies are playing an increasingly central role in reshaping the UK’s energy system.

While the headline figures reflect a strong year, the underlying shift has been building for some time. Many of the projects approved in 2025 were submitted years earlier, highlighting the long development timelines involved in major energy infrastructure.

Short-term factors have also influenced the spike. Battery storage projects, in particular, have reached greater technical and commercial maturity, allowing developers to propose much larger schemes. In parallel, some developers moved quickly to secure approvals ahead of grid connection reforms, where project readiness now plays a key role in determining queue priority under the “first ready, first needed, first connected” framework.

Political timing may have played a part too. With local elections and potential policy changes on the horizon, some developers appear to have accelerated applications to gain certainty under existing planning regimes.

Government-led efforts to streamline planning and prioritise nationally significant infrastructure have also contributed. Updates to national planning policy and commitments to faster consenting processes have reduced delays and provided developers with greater confidence, supporting further growth in the pipeline.

Looking longer term, approvals for battery, wind and solar projects have increased by more than 400% over the past five years, rising from just over 9GW in 2021 to today’s unprecedented levels. However, approvals do not automatically translate into operational capacity. Lengthy construction schedules and ongoing grid connection constraints continue to slow delivery.

Recent reforms from NESO aim to tackle grid bottlenecks and remove stalled or non-viable projects from the system. The Planning and Infrastructure Bill also seeks to shorten approval times for major infrastructure and reduce delays caused by legal challenges, though significant barriers remain.

This rapid expansion of renewables highlights a growing challenge for the UK: the electricity grid itself. Much of the existing network was not designed to handle large volumes of intermittent generation and energy storage. Substantial investment in grid reinforcement, transmission capacity and system flexibility will be essential to ensure approved projects can deliver power reliably and at scale.

As planning approvals continue to accelerate, the focus is increasingly shifting from ambition to execution—turning record-breaking pipelines into real, connected and productive energy assets.