Recommendation 11

HM Government · verbatim extract Deferred

Government agrees that onshore wind is an important part of the energy mix, accounting for around a quarter of installed renewable capacity in the UK. As set out in the Energy White Paper and Net Zero Strategy, a low-cost net zero system of the future will be predominantly comprised of wind and solar. To achieve this, we will require a sustained increase in locally supported onshore wind to 2030 and beyond, alongside other renewables such as solar and offshore wind. We have included onshore wind in the latest Contracts for Difference auction and expect to include it in future rounds. The Contracts 14 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-infrastructure-strategy 15 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/transforming-infrastructure-performance-roadmap-to-2030 for Difference Scheme is the government’s main mechanism for incentivising large-scale renewable electricity generation and from 2023 auctions take place annually, helping to speed up renewable deployment. for new electricity generating infrastructure in the draft EN-1. However, to strengthen local decision making, onshore wind was removed from the NSIP regime in 2016 through amendments to the 2008 Planning Act. This means that all planning applications for onshore wind turbines in England are made to the Local Planning Authority (or to the Welsh Government in Wales). The Government confirmed on 6 December 2022 that local councils will remain responsible for onshore wind applications, continuing to ensure that local communities are at the heart of decisions on onshore wind. Decisions on onshore wind sites will continue to be made at a local level as these are best made by local representatives who know their areas best and are democratically accountable to the local community. Alongside this, the Government committed to consult on proposed changes to the National Planning Policy Framework, exploring how local authorities can demonstrate local support and respond to views of their communities when considering onshore wind development in England. The consultation will also consider how the planning framework best encourages the upgrading of existing wind farms. Separately, the Government will consult on developing local partnerships for supportive communities who wish to host new onshore wind infrastructure in return for benefits, including lower energy bills.