Experts claim that the planning system is a significant barrier to hastening Britain’s transition away from fossil fuels and imported energy, and nowhere is the planning issue with onshore wind more obvious. James Robottom, head of onshore wind at RenewableUK, explains that there has been a de facto prohibition on onshore wind in England since 2015. According to the planning policy, each application for one or more wind turbines must adhere to two requirements: It must be situated in an area designated by the local government as appropriate for renewable energy projects and get community support. These rules have slowed down the construction of onshore wind farms even while they provide communities more say over what is developed there. little local government. Only 11% of the authorised development areas for renewable energy in the UK, according to a report by the University of the West of England. Mr. Robottom stated: “Any influence must be thoroughly evaluated. That implies that if one local resident objects, the entire wind farm can be destroyed. As a result, the UK has experienced a sharp decline in onshore wind farm development requests.
According to the UK Government’s plans for Powering Up Britain (2023) and the UK Energy Security Strategy (2022), low-cost net-zero systems in the future will primarily be made of self-generated renewable energy sources like wind and solar. By 2030 and beyond, there may be a large increase in locally endorsed onshore wind power along with other energy sources to help accomplish this. various renewable energy sources, including solar and offshore wind.
Although 79% of individuals support the usage of onshore wind power, the most recent BEIS Public Attitudes Tracker indicates that this position shifts when questions about onshore wind power are asked close to the respondent. In the context of local regions, support for onshore wind drops to 43%, according to the most recent follow-up poll.By providing communal benefit, communities may support onshore wind.
‘Community benefits’, or financial packages that provide direct or in-kind payments to regional communities, are becoming frequent in renewable energy projects. These advantages are distinct from and supplement other building and development-related direct economic benefits like employment and associatedimprovements to the local infrastructure (such as better road systems). Access to long-term, dependable, and flexible finance can help local communities immediately improve their economies and environments. Onshore wind farm revenues are directly negotiated with local communities and can be used in a variety of ways to finance a range of regional initiatives. For instance, money from the Tirgwynt wind farm is being utilised to construct new schools in Carno, Wales. Grants are being used at the Kype Muir Wind Farm in Scotland to collaborate with local authorities to increase local employment and skill sets. Local regions can directly benefit from the hosting infrastructure by offering advantages to the neighbourhood Tirgwynt landowners were crucial in the development of the onshorefarm the area around the turbines and the wind project. They contributed to the funding of this project’s creation and are still very much involved in its management. Belltown Power (the wind farm operator) decided to pre-capitalize the Carno Community Benefit Fund in consideration of widespread community involvement and the requirements of the nearby Carno village, thereby providing financing for a new facility for the Carno School and preventing its demise.
In the recent UK government consultation on facilitating interactions between regional communities and onshore wind companies, it is planned to evaluate the benefits of providing more direct financial support, such as refunds on local electricity bills. The issuance of vouchers that may be redeemed at energy supply providers and the conversion of municipal government are two examples of this. Co-ownership in wind farms can result in lower electricity rates, as well as creative pricing plans for local users of wind farm electricity.
Although this consultation is a recent development, its concept has already been shown to work. Customers who live in areas where wind turbines are located receive savings from energy provider Octopus. Customers who are engaged in the Octopus project earn 20% off their electricity bills when their neighbourhood turbine is running, and in extremely windy weather, they receive a 50% discount. Ellis, a project engineer, has saved more than £200 as a result of the scheme since January of last year. In light of the nation’s current cost-of-living issue, which is fueled in part by soaring energy costs, Ellis asserts that the reductions have made a big difference. “In addition to saving money, it’s also helping the environment,” a little cash,” he claims. It’s obvious, as they say. According to Octopus, consumers have saved an average of more than £100 yearly through the project, and some have saved as much as £400, depending on their energy usage.
In the recent UK government consultation on facilitating interactions between regional communities and onshore wind companies, it is planned to evaluate the benefits of providing more direct financial support, such as refunds on local electricity bills. Examples of this include the distribution of coupons that can be redeemed at energy supply businesses, the transformation of local government co-ownership in wind farms into reduced electricity prices, and creative pricing plans for neighbourhood users of electricity from wind farms.
Despite being a new development, the consultation’s concepthas shown to be effective. Customers who live in areas where wind turbines are located receive savings from energy provider Octopus. Customers who are engaged in the Octopus project earn 20% off their electricity bills when their neighbourhood turbine is running, and in extremely windy weather, they receive a 50% discount. Ellis, a project engineer, has saved more than £200 as a result of the scheme since January of last year. In light of the nation’s current cost-of-living issue, which is fueled in part by soaring energy costs, Ellis asserts that the reductions have made a big difference. In addition to saving some money, it also benefits the environment, he claims. It’s obvious, as they say. According to Octopus, clients have saved on average more than £100 per year depending on their energy usage. the programme, and some have saved as much as £400.
