Government backs wind power
PM’s pledge to ‘slash red tape’ in drive to increase low-carbon energy supply
MINISTERS PLEDGED to turn the UK into the “Saudi Arabia of wind power” yesterday, as the firm behind the largest wind farm in the world off the coast of Yorkshire hailed plans as “excellent news” for the Humber.
The Energy Security Strategy released yesterday contained commitments to half of the UK’s renewable energy being wind generated by 2030.
However, critics have said that the plan, designed to reduce the country’s reliance on foreign nations for power, is a “missed opportunity” to alleviate some of the pressures facing households this month as bills have soared. As part of a drive to generate 95 per cent of UK power from low carbon sources by 2030, the Government has set a new ambition for 50 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind – up from a previous goal of 40GW.
The plans promised “we will be the Saudi Arabia of wind power”, and in his foreword, Boris Johnson promised to “work with industry to slash our way through needless and repetitive red tape”, as the strategy laid out how the consent process would be reduced from four years to one.
“Energy companies tell me they can get an offshore wind turbine upright and generating in less than 24 hours but that it can take as much as 10 years to secure the licences and permissions required to do so,” Mr Johnson added.
Hornsea wind farm off the east coast of Yorkshire is the largest in the world, and the UK head of Orsted, the Danish firm behind it, said the proposals mean regions like this one will be at the “front of the queue to benefit”. Duncan Clark told The Yorkshire Post yesterday: “A newly increased target of 50GW for offshore wind by 2030 and proposals to significantly reduce the time these utility scale projects take to navigate the planning process is excellent news.
“In particular it is excellent news for areas like the Humber, which are already at the forefront of the offshore wind industry and the front of the queue to benefit from the investment and jobs this growth will bring.”
Yesterday’s strategy also contained detail on boosting nuclear power and hydrogen, but has been widely criticised for not doing enough to help families in the short term who are struggling to heat their homes.
Ministers have been under increasing pressure to act since the Russian invasion of Ukraine pushed prices up even further.
Chairman of the Business, Energy
and Industrial Strategy committee, Labour’s Darren Jones said: “For families and businesses across the country energy security means being able to turn the heating or electricity on knowing you can afford to pay the bill.
“Ministers continue to ignore the reality faced by of millions of people with yet another missed opportunity to help bill payers and a failure to announce funding for the home insulation works required to reduce the amount of heating needed in the first place.”
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said the announcement is “not enough” and “too little, too late” to help households with their rapidly rising costs, and misses issues such as home insulation.
We will be the Saudi Arabia of wind power. Ministers’ newly published Energy Security Strategy.
HOUSEHOLDS CLOSE to onshore wind turbines could get lower bills as part of Boris Johnson’s new energy strategy.
Communities could be incentivised to accept nearby developments, however the Government is not making major changes to planning rules which have effectively halted the development of new wind farms in England.
The Government said it will consult on “developing partnerships with a limited number of supportive communities who wish to host new onshore wind infrastructure in return for guaranteed lower energy bills”.
Boris Johnson said onshore wind farms are controversial because of their visual impact, saying new sites “will have a very high bar to clear” and would have to reward local residents with cheaper energy.
East Yorkshire MP Sir Greg Knight said he understood that people were “feeling the pain” of soaring energy bills, but would urge them “not to be seduced by the promise” of cheaper energy, saying his concern would be over how long-lasting any discounts would be for.
And he said residents “owe a duty to the next generation” to preserve the Yorkshire Wolds, which is line to become the next Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
He gave the Government “10 out of 10” for making the energy strategy a diverse mix, and not focusing too heavily on onshore wind. He said: “The Yorkshire Wolds are a very beautiful part of the country and we don’t want to see it desecrated with onshore wind farms.
“We are next in line to be awarded the status of Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and I think there’s a necessity for local politicians and planners to bear that in mind and preserve it for future generations. I’m not in favour of any more wind farms, but on the periphery if local communities want it I would not seek to argue against their wishes.”
People living in Holderness, an area that has seen massive onshore wind developments in the past decade believe “enough is enough”, a local councillor said yesterday. Councillor David Winter says the village of Roos is surrounded by wind farms – three of four were granted on appeal after being rejected by residents and then by county councillors.
“Of the four applications all four were opposed, all rejected by the council of the day, all went to public inquiry and all but one was approved. That tells you the feeling then and nothing has changed.” However he said he couldn’t comment about whether the prospect of cheaper energy bills could sway opinion.
Currently in England wind farm schemes must have virtually unanimous backing from locals to get the go-ahead - although the hurdles are much lower in other parts of the UK. They also have to be in areas deemed suitable for renewable energy.
However just 10 per cent of Local Plans have identified such areas.
It means the vast majority of new onshore wind farms, coming forward under the latest Government auction, and which aim to produce 3.5GW of energy, a 20 per cent rise from the current total 14GW from UK projects, are set to be in Scotland (90 per cent) with the rest in Wales.
The trade body RenewableUK called the onshore wind announcement a “missed opportunity”. Director of Future Electricity Systems Barnaby Wharton said: “The industry will work with Government to develop their proposals and we will need more detail on which onshore wind
projects offering benefits to local communities might qualify for consent and how they would be selected.
“But the strategy is clear on the benefits to billpayers and communities from low-cost onshore wind, so it is a missed opportunity to not make these available more widely to cut bills as quickly as possible”.
The Government said plans for wind will “prioritise putting local communities in control”. Its consultation will consider “how clear support can be demonstrated by local communities, local authorities and MPs”.
We don’t want to see the Wolds desecrated with onshore wind farms. East Yorkshire MP Sir Greg Knight.