Onshore wind farms and a new case for green energy if Ministers overhaul planning laws to avert fuel crisis sparked by Ukraine war – Rebecca Foster

THE UK is re-evaluating its reliance on Russian fossil fuels as the Government meets to discuss a British Energy Security Strategy.

Part of those plans are mooted to consider sensible changes to planning laws which would mean Nimby-style opposition will no longer be able to stymie crucial new energy infrastructure developments, including onshore wind projects.

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Although just three per cent of our gas comes from Russia, soaring global market prices have been hitting Britain’s pockets hard.

Should more onshore wind farms be built to ease the energy crisis?Should more onshore wind farms be built to ease the energy crisis?
Should more onshore wind farms be built to ease the energy crisis?

The UK’s wholesale gas price shot up last week peaking at 800p per therm – compared with 45p a year ago – before settling at 318p.

The response is widespread political consensus that we must secure affordable and homegrown energy: onshore wind is a key part of turning that intention into reality.

Currently, draconian planning 
laws have thwarted onshore wind 
farm development in England. As it stands, these projects can be rejected 
if one single person objects to them 
going ahead: it’s no wonder that only 
eight onshore wind farm applications 
for new or extended sites were submitted between 2016 and 2020, compared 
to 237 applications between 2011 and 2015. That’s a staggering 96 per cent decrease.

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Energy independence has always been a matter of national security, but Russia’s invasion of Ukraine brings that home to a new generation of politicians.

Should more solar farms be built to offset the energy crisis?Should more solar farms be built to offset the energy crisis?
Should more solar farms be built to offset the energy crisis?

Developing our onshore wind potential must now be an indispensable part of our future energy strategy. This is underlined by the fact that if the 410 solar projects and 239 wind projects awaiting construction were built, they would provide enough electricity to replace our Russian imports.

But aside from increasing our national energy independence, onshore wind projects provide many environmental, social and economic benefits, not least significant job creation.

Onshore wind power is also one of the cheapest forms of energy, making it a viable option for replacing gas. With the clock on net zero ticking, new onshore wind projects would also make clean steps towards energy security.

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Relaxing planning laws is crucial – many existing wind farms have performed well but are not all in the best locations.

The Ukraine crisis has led to calls for Britian to alter its energy policy.The Ukraine crisis has led to calls for Britian to alter its energy policy.
The Ukraine crisis has led to calls for Britian to alter its energy policy.

New, more viable sites have been identified as technology has developed.
If existing sites are discontinued after their 25-year lifetime, our supply of onshore wind energy will slowly fall over time.

Positively, evidence indicates that the public would support a relaxation of planning laws that lays the path for new onshore wind developments. A recent survey found that 76 per cent of people polled were supportive of onshore wind, with 70 per cent agreeing that the local planning system should broadly encourage the building of renewable energy projects like onshore wind.

In the face of an increasing security and environmental need, and in the context of growing public support, the Government will have to be more proactive in dealing with Nimbyist attitudes which could threaten the prospect of new onshore wind developments.

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The UK has about 14GW of onshore wind, with most of this infrastructure installed in Scotland, where planning restrictions are more relaxed and developers work with communities to achieve a balance between local support, environmental impact, and likely energy generation.

This locally-sensitive, but pragmatic Scottish approach could work in England: it would ensure developments are compatible with the landscape and encourage community ownership, which helps nurture community support.

An example of the success of the Scottish approach is Westray, situated on one of the northern isles of the Orkney archipelago. Westray hosts a 0.9 MW community-owned turbine currently producing just shy of £300,000 per year for the local community and a yield of £6.8m is expected over the course of its 25-year lifespan.

Given this, the British Energy Security Strategy is a prime opportunity to commit to growing our renewable energy portfolio and the Government must now prevent overzealous planning processes from hindering onshore wind developments.

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Rebecca Foster is a researcher at the think tank Bright Blue.

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