269. Now is the time to turbo-charge a drive towards greater onshore wind provision. The Review heard many instances of both local community energy projects, housing developments and regional wind projects in remote areas of the country, that wish to deploy onshore wind, yet are being held back from doing so. The review is of the view that if local communities wish to have onshore wind as a solution, and can work with energy suppliers and distribution network operators (DNOs) to find an agreeable mutually beneficial solution that delivers long-term benefits for local residents, then there is no reason why onshore wind should not be deployed at scale.
270. At the same time the planning system needs to be reformed to achieve rapid deployment, as is discussed in Pillar 4. Onshore wind would be one of the fastest, lowest cost solutions to rapid delivery of net zero making the transition more affordable.
Mission: Set up taskforce and deployment roadmaps in 2023 for onshore wind in to reach required deployment levels for 2035 net zero grid | |
Issue heard by the Review | Action recommended |
There is no clear roadmap or targets for the deployment of onshore wind, in contrast to offshore wind, despite onshore wind being one of the cheapest technologies. | Government, regulators and industry to set up a taskforce and deployment roadmaps with clear milestones for onshore wind to reach required deployment level for 2035 net zero grid. |
Delays due to planning, environmental permits and grid access add to timelines and administrative burden. In England and Wales, additional requirements as part of the planning process slow down deployment of onshore wind. | Government to work with regulators, devolved administrations, local authorities, industry and key stakeholders to streamline the planning and environmental permitting processes. This work should also facilitate grid access in line with recommendations in Energy Infrastructure chapter. Government to ensure there is clear guidance to support case-by-case decisions, for example on sensitive issues such as siting and to allow new, innovative solutions, instead of technology-specific restrictions. |
There is a lack of awareness of the guidance on community benefits. | Government to set out a framework for community benefits, acknowledging that these will be specific to the local situation. |
Businesses may struggle to access the required skills. | Build up UK capability and provide the necessary training and certification. |