Renewable UK has petitioned the government to double the capacity of onshore wind generation in the country to 30GW by 2030.
As one of the cheapest forms of generation available in the UK, the association said this would reduce energy bills by £16.3 billion over the course of the decade – an annual saving of £25 per household – and ensure net zero emissions are achieved at the lowest cost.
In a new prospectus for the industry, Renewable UK said it would also help the prime minister deliver on his recently announced pledge to completely decarbonise the electricity system by 2035, whilst generating £45 billion of economic activity and creating 27,000 full-time jobs.
The trade body noted the advice from the Climate Change Committee that the UK will need 35GW onshore wind capacity by 2035 to remain on course for net zero emission by the middle of the century. It said the UK is currently consenting less than half of the 1,250MW of annual installations needed to reach that amount.
Renewable UK also highlighted the potential contribution of onshore wind to green hydrogen production, which it said could reach 5GW by 2030. It said onshore wind farms could power 1.7GW, generating £1.4 billion of economic activity and creating 1,000 more full-time jobs.
To stimulate the growth of onshore wind, the prospectus urged governments to introduce annual Contracts for Difference auctions, reform the planning system in all four nations of the UK and ensure that older wind farms reaching their end of their lifespans are repowered with more modern and efficient turbines.
Renewable UK also called for Ofgem to be reformed with a new remit to deliver net zero, warning that the regulator is currently underestimating the scale and pace at which the power grid needs to be upgraded. It said Ofgem’s focus on a “narrow view” of consumer benefit has led to network charging reforms that will dampen investment in renewable generation by increasing annual costs by £5 to 10 per kilowatt.
Matthieu Hue, chief executive of EDF Renewables and the chair of the Renewable UK’s onshore wind steering group, said: “As it’s one of the cheapest ways to generate new power, onshore wind will reduce energy bills for consumers who are being hit hard by massive increases in gas prices.
“It can also create tens of thousands of high-quality jobs in parts of the UK which need levelling up. Our onshore wind prospectus makes a clear offer to government that the industry is standing ready to work with ministers to maximise growth in the UK’s supply chain, inward investment and exports”.
RenewableUK chief executive Dan McGrail said “We’re calling for the government to set a target to double the UK’s current onshore wind capacity by 2030, so we can stay on course for net zero and to reach the prime minister’s target of 100% green electricity by 2035.
“Doing so will require investment in our grid, annual auctions for contracts to generate clean power and reforming the planning system so that the voices of the vast majority of people who support onshore wind are listened to. At the moment less than half the capacity we need to install each year is being approved.”
Alongside the prospectus, Renewable UK also released the results of a poll of more than 2,000 people by Survation in which 70% of respondents agreed that the local planning system should encourage the deployment of renewable energy projects such as onshore wind, with only 9 per cent disagreeing. Support was slightly higher – 71% – among people who already live within five miles of a wind farm.
When asked whether a project should go ahead if it has majority support among local residents, 80% agreed. Only 11% said there should be total consensus among the local community. Among Conservative voters, once taken to be less supportive of renewable development, the figures were 82% and 9% respectively.
McGrail said: “This polling shows that public support for onshore wind remains sky-high. That needs to be reflected in the way local authorities make decisions about new onshore wind projects in their area going forward.”