Miliband unveils new powers to approve large wind farms

The government has unveiled plans to give ministers final say over approving large onshore wind farms rather than leaving the decision to local councils, where opposition has often been fierce.

The plan is among a number of proposals to be announced by Energy Secretary Ed Miliband on Friday in what the government is calling an “ambitious” action plan to reach 95% clean energy in the UK by 2030.

Miliband also wants to give the energy regulator the power to prioritize projects waiting to be connected to the national grid.

But Claire Coutinho, the Conservative shadow secretary of state for energy security, said the plans would push bills “even higher”.

Miliband is expected to say that the government wants to bring large onshore wind projects in England back into the nationally significant infrastructure project (NSIP) regime.

Labour’s plans would mean the government, rather than councils, have the final say on whether to approve wind farm projects larger than 100 MW.

Miliband said, “The era of clean electricity is about harnessing the power of Britain’s natural resources.”

But Coutinho said Labour’s “rush” to decarbonise the electricity system by 2030 would lead to higher electricity prices and more hardship for people across the UK.

“We need affordable, reliable energy – not even high bills,” he said.

Onshore wind is one of the cheapest forms of clean energy. But Projects in England have fallen by 94% since 2015 When the previous Conservative government tightened planning rules for wind farms after protests from local communities.

Thereafter, only a small number of local objections could effectively stop new projects.

Following the Labor Party’s general election victory, planning rules for onshore wind were relaxed in September 2023. But renewable energy groups said they did not go far enough.

The government is expected to say the public will still be consulted on new wind farms, but the Secretary of State will have the authority to make any final decisions, taking into account national priorities such as tackling climate change.

The government believes that any project will need to have “direct community benefits” and proposes to set up a recovery fund to invest in nature projects as compensation for any environmental damage.

Miliband is expected to say, “A new era of clean electricity for our country delivers a positive vision of Britain’s future with energy security, lower bills, good jobs and climate action.”

The 136-page action plan to be released on Friday will also include other measures to accelerate renewable energy.

This is expected to include prioritizing projects to enable early connection to the electricity grid and encouraging private investment.

The government wants to move away from a “first-come, first-served” approval process for the grid, and prioritize those that may be most useful.

Thousands of projects are currently waiting in the queue for approval to connect to the UK grid. If all the projects were given the go-ahead, 739GW of energy would be added to the system, which is 14 times more than the amount of renewable energy the country currently has.

Labor projects These reforms could attract £40 billion a year from private investment, mainly in “domestic clean energy projects”.

The industry has been demanding many of these measures for years and has widely welcomed the plans.

Lucy Yu, CEO of the think tank Center for Net Zero, said: “The Clean Power Action Plan shows that the government is not afraid to be bold, demonstrated by the scope and nature of the proposed changes.”

Yu, who is also a government adviser, warned ministers not to “forget the central role of consumers and communities in the energy transition”.

“The support of the British public will be vital, and the Government must ensure that clean electricity delivery takes their interests into account.”