The new Labour government, led by Chancellor Rachel Reeves, has already made moves in the renewable energy sector by lifting the de facto ban on onshore wind projects.
While this is a positive development for the onshore wind market, which has been stagnant for years, specialist business, Fisher German, said that Labour’s goal to double onshore wind energy by 2030 might be overly ambitious.
According to the rural property firm, onshore wind remains one of the cheapest and effective ways to generate renewable energy. However, new developments have been sparse in the past decade due to the Conservative government’s 2015 ban, which allowed a single community objection to halt a project at the planning stage.
Darren Edwards, head of sustainable energy at Fisher German, and Sarah DeRenzy-Tomson, head of planning, explained that the removal of restrictive clauses in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) was pivotal. This change provides the market with the freedom to advance projects, aiding the country’s net-zero goals and offering farmers and landowners a potential steady income source.
Despite this positive shift, Labour has a significant challenges in meeting its ambitious targets. Much of the skilled workforce in the onshore wind sector has shifted to other areas like solar and offshore wind, or even changed careers. Fisher German has maintained its expertise but anticipates a delay in redeploying skilled workers.
Moreover, the planning process remains lengthy, and while Ms Reeves’ funding announcement to address planning backlogs is welcome, several procedural hurdles still need to be overcome before projects can commence, they said.
Additionally, inadequate grid capacity and infrastructure could impede progress. The National Grid currently quotes lead times extending into the 2030s for large solar and battery projects, requiring substantial investment in transmission and distribution networks for onshore wind. Labour also plans to shift some decision-making from local to national authorities.
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