We have been following with keen interest Labour’s new Energy Strategy to make Britain a Clean Energy Superpower.
Ed Miliband, Secretary of State for Energy Security & Net Zero, has been quoted recently saying ‘this government has won a mandate to deliver a bold plan for energy independence, lower energy bills, good jobs and tackle the climate crisis’. All exciting news, but we thought we’d take a look at some of the suggested policies and timelines and given the breadth of the topic we thought we’d start with wind.
Key points of the plan include:
Lifting the Ban: The government has lifted the longstanding de facto ban on onshore wind farms in England, which had been in place since 2015. This policy change aims to facilitate the rapid development of new onshore wind projects across the country
Doubling Capacity: The government has set an ambitious goal to double the current onshore wind capacity by 2030. This means increasing the installed capacity from approximately 15 GW to 30 GW. This move is seen as essential for achieving the target of fully decarbonising the electricity grid.
Planning Reforms: To support the expansion, there will be significant reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework. These reforms are designed to streamline the approval process for new wind projects, making it easier and faster for developers to get the necessary permissions. Labour also announced on Monday that it would go a step further and consult on whether to designate large windfarms as nationally significant infrastructure projects, meaning that the energy secretary, Ed Miliband, would sign them off and local councils would not have a say.
Public and Economic Benefits: The government emphasises that onshore wind projects not only provide low-cost electricity but also bring substantial economic benefits to local communities. Measures will be put in place to ensure communities are properly consulted and can benefit from these projects. Onshore wind already generates more than 20% of the UK’s electricity a year. Government research shows that delivering 30 gigawatts of onshore wind by the end of the decade would boost the economy by £45bn and create around 27,000 jobs.
Formation of a Taskforce: A new Onshore Wind Industry Taskforce has been established, bringing together stakeholders from the public and private sectors. This taskforce will identify and address the actions needed to accelerate onshore wind deployment (Yahoo).
These initiatives reflect, what we see as a strong commitment to renewable energy and aim to bolster the UK's energy security, reduce electricity costs, and contribute significantly to the country's climate goals.
We’ll be watching for updates, but we can see that these changes in policy are already of benefit to many of our existing clients.
In the meantime, if you would like to chat to our wind guru & Technical Director Steve Peace, do get in touch drop us a line .
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