Last night (11 June), SEC Newgate UK partnered with RenewableUK in our Farringdon office to host a panel event, bringing together key voices from across the onshore wind industry to discuss insights and the future of policy and development in England ahead of the Government preparing to unveil its onshore wind roadmap.
The strong turnout made it clear that there’s a genuine sense of excitement and confidence for the future of onshore wind in England. A panel of experts in planning, policy, investment, and government discussed what’s needed to give investors and developers the certainty they need to move forward with onshore wind delivery.
Both the panel and the sense in the room reflected the positive direction for onshore wind in England in the wake of the Labour Government lifting the de facto ban on onshore wind six months ago. However, following the initial relief that came from ‘righting the wrong’, there’s been an impatience at why we aren’t seeing more projects start to enter planning. While the Government has consistently emphasised how vital wind power will be in reaching net zero targets, government and industry must continue working together if the practical barriers in policy are to be removed. .jpeg)
It was clear that whilst there is a favourable mood for onshore wind, there is still more work to do to give investors the confidence they need. The panel discussed some of the biggest challenges to reaching final investment decisions on projects, including Whitehall’s Review of Electricity Market Arrangements (REMA), and the extent to which the recent local election results are impacting project confidence.
The panel returned regularly to the importance of straightforward planning guidance as a foundation for project certainty. This would not only boost investor confidence but also offer a clear framework for local planning authorities to assess wind applications effectively. Many local authorities in England have not dealt with a wind application for a decade, and it will be essential for them to have clear guidance to be able to effectively carry this out – as well as enough people to consider the applications within the councils.
The issues that have arisen for onshore wind in Scotland and Wales will need to be learned from effectively and quickly in order to push ahead with the UK Government’s plans for the scale up of wind farms across the country. Several panellists, who sit on the Onshore Wind Industry Taskforce, emphasised how these experiences are already shaping the development of the UK’s Onshore Wind Strategy, particularly in areas such as planning, grid and system capacity, community engagement, aviation and defence considerations, and the supply chain, skills, and workforce pipeline.
The Government has been engaging with key stakeholders in the industry, including looking to bring together aviation authorities to form a coordinated approach, to align on strategy and work towards building foundational guidance for future development.
As we await the release of the Government’s Onshore Wind Strategy, the industry remains hopeful that this marks the beginning of a more cohesive and actionable era for onshore wind development across England and the wider UK.