Wind Power: The Election Issue

Written by: Phil Davis, Managing Director at Renewables First and specialist in hydropower, wind power and solar power system design.
Reviewed by the Renewables First engineering team for technical accuracy.

With a general election approaching, there is an opportunity for onshore wind in England to change. Development of onshore wind in England has been at a standstill since 2015 when a de facto ban was imposed by the current government. However, Labour have pledged that, if elected, they would lift this ban and make onshore wind turbines once again viable in England. This was announced by the Shadow Secretary of State for Climate and Net Zero Ed Miliband [Renewable UK]. 

If this change in policy were to come about, which seems likely, then the planning system would once again be open to onshore wind. Projects that have already carried out the early development phases will therefore benefit from being at the head of the queue and have a better chance of being granted faster planning permission. It is also likely that these favourable planning conditions may benefit from a ‘honeymoon period’ which might only last a few years before opposition gets more vocal again as more wind turbines start to appear.

This means pushing ahead with your onshore wind project now could give you an advantage over late comers. Give your project a head start, let us know about your project today and we will guide you through the process.

To better understand the stance that the three main parties take towards onshore wind, an overview of key policies and targets are given below:

Conservatives

• Have recently made minor changes to the National Planning Policy Framework in favour of onshore wind, but these did not go far enough in removing the barriers to developing onshore wind turbines [Renewable UK].
• Propose to invest in onshore wind, but set no target for developing onshore wind [The Conservative Party Manifest 2024].
• Have set a target to decarbonise the grid by 2035.

Labour

• Have pledged to remove the ban on onshore wind turbines in England and reform planning policy statements.
• Will create publicly owned GB Energy, to co-invest in large private sector renewable energy projects [Labour].
• Have set targets to decarbonise the grid by 2035 and double onshore wind capacity [The Labour Party Manifesto 2024].

Liberal Democrats

• Are in favour of onshore wind and recognise that the recent planning changes did not go far enough in lifting the ban [Liberal Democrats].
• Have set targets to achieve 90% renewable electricity by 2030 and net zero by 2045 [Liberal Democrats Manifesto 2024].

About the Author
Phil has worked in the renewables sector since 2001 and founded Hydro Generation, which became Renewables First in 2009.

A qualified mechanical engineer (BEng, MSc Renewable Energy Systems), Phil is a recognised expert in hydropower, wind and solar PV across all project stages.

View all posts by Phil