The UK Government’s commitment to remove the block on onshore wind in England which was outlined in its Growth Plan today is a “major step forward” towards the ramp up of renewable energy generation, according to RenewableUK.
The plan states that Ministers will “bring onshore wind planning policy in line with other infrastructure to allow it to be deployed more easily in England”.
It also states that the Government will streamline the planning process for offshore wind projects, as it notes that the decision-making process can take 4 years.
Onshore wind is one of the UK’s cheapest sources of new power and is up to ten times cheaper than the wholesale cost of gas, RUK said.
The price of offshore wind has fallen by around 70% since 2015, making it the lowest cost large-scale power source available in the UK, and industry has long identified planning and grid issues as major obstacles to speedier development, the organisation added.
RenewableUK CEO Dan McGrail said: “Removing the block on onshore wind in England means we can generate significantly more cheap electricity for hard-pressed billpayers in areas where projects have local support.
“Once projects have planning permission they can be up and running within a year, so this technology offers us a great opportunity to tackle the cost of energy crisis.
“Speeding up the planning process for offshore wind is vital too, as it will allow us to unlock an enormous amount of new capacity much faster and help us to meet the Government’s target of quadrupling our offshore wind capacity by 2030.
“It will also help us to meet the Prime Minister’s vision of the UK becoming a net energy exporter by 2040.
“At the moment it can take up to ten years to get a project over all the hurdles. We can’t afford these glacial timescales any longer, especially as offshore wind has now reached a point where it’s even cheaper to build than onshore wind.”
He added: “It’s also vital that we speed up grid connections, as some offshore wind farms are being given connection dates which are 10 years into the future.
“Alongside the changes announced today, we’re urging Ofgem and National Grid to accelerate grid reform, as one of the most important steps towards decarbonising our power system in the years ahead.
“Overall, the Government’s Growth Plan could be a game-changer in speeding up the transition to low-cost renewable power.
“Companies plan to invest up to £175bn in UK wind energy this decade, boosting growth and energy security.”
Elsewhere, the chancellor’s ‘mini-budget’ also outlined plans for more than 40 new investment zones in England which would be granted permissions to relax planning rules and reduce business taxes to encourage investment within them.
The Association for Renewable Energy and Clean Technology (REA) highlighted that renewables would be one of the best fits for these zones in the path to delivering a modern sustainable economy.
REA director of policy Frank Gordon said: “The REA notes today’s re-commitments to the Government’s previous energy package announcements, including moves to do more on energy efficiency through the Energy Company Obligation.
“Much of the innovation and growth promoted by this statement would be expedited if the Government passes the Energy Bill, which would open up opportunities for investment in areas such as energy efficiency, carbon capture, heat networks, hydrogen and further clean technologies – all of which would deliver sizable benefits to new investment zones.
“The REA reiterates its statement that renewables are the cheapest form of generation and best route to delivering energy security, providing long term relief from the ongoing energy crisis.”
Meanwhile, Octopus Energy CEO and founder Greg Jackson said the Growth Plan was “a huge step which will unleash the power of British onshore wind energy”.
He said: “Onshore wind is cheap and incredibly popular with Brits – more than 13,000 people have asked us for a wind farm in their area.
“But unnecessary red tape has meant it has taken on average seven years to build and connect a new onshore wind farm. In reality, they can be built in months.
“By putting onshore wind on the same playing field as other technologies, we can turbocharge our transition to net zero, increase the UK’s energy security, and wean ourselves off expensive gas for good.”
Thrive Renewables managing director Matthew Clayton added: “Although we await more detail on the reforms, it’s great to see the government recognising the vital role onshore wind has to play in our transition to a clean energy system, not least because it’s one of the cheapest and quickest technologies to deploy currently.
“By returning planning for onshore wind to a level footing with other developments, we can improve energy security and accelerate our transition to net zero, at the same time as helping lower bills for consumers.”