MPs want clearer local benefits and stronger community engagement when future fusion facilities enter the planning system.
The Energy Security and Net Zero Committee published its Planning for fusion report on 3rd November 2026. It questions the need for a separate National Policy Statement at this stage, while acknowledging the value of research and the industry’s desire for planning certainty.
Recommendations for government
The committee seeks guidance on capturing benefits for host communities and wants best-practice engagement to become statutory. It also raises unresolved regulatory and non-proliferation questions. These are parliamentary recommendations, rather than new requirements or consent for a development.
Why councils should follow it
Our assessment is that planning teams should consider their capacity for early dialogue, scrutiny and community accountability when unfamiliar technologies are proposed.
What happens next
The government has two months to respond. The report does not demonstrate commercial electricity production or near-term savings for households.
Primary sources: Energy Security and Net Zero Committee and Planning for fusion report, 3rd November 2026.