Adonis calls on ministers to reverse onshore wind block

Scottish and Welsh governments should be given rein says former transport secretary

The chair of the government’s own National Infrastructure Commission has called on ministers to reverse their block on onshore windfarms.

Lord Adonis told a fringe meeting at the Labour Party conference today (Monday) that the government should not stand in the way of bringing forward onshore wind in places like the Highlands and the Islands where they enjoy public support.

“It’s absolutely vital for the government not to put a blanket ban on onshore wind developments where people want them.”

He said that both the Scottish and Welsh governments, which are both keen on increasing the roll out of onshore wind power, should be given free rein to do so.

Adonis, who was transport secretary in the last Labour government, also rejected fears that the grid would be unable to cope with an upsurge in demand for power from electric vehicles.

He said that if most charging takes place at off peak hours, there would be no requirement for a “massive” increase in generating capacity.

He said that demand on the grid would also be eased by the use of artificial intelligence and increased renewable capacity.

He said: “You can’t electrify fast enough in these areas. If you have intelligent policy, we could get both radical and rapid electrification of transport and heat without requiring new generating capacity.”

Adonis added that the case for renewable energy had become more compelling in the wake of the contract for difference auctions which he described as the ‘single most important’ recent development in infrastructure provision.

“The green moment has come where you no longer have to choose between being cheap and green.”

Adonis also said that the government should stop its moves to take the UK out of the European Investment Bank, which he said had played a ‘very important role’ in bankrolling infrastructure projects.

He said: “The idea that you take a scythe to the things that actually work is absolutely crazy.

“There is no reason why we need to pull out of everything with the word European in the title.”

In a separate meeting, organised by the Nuclear Industries Association, EDF director of strategy and corporate affairs Paul Spence stressed that the subsidies for future nuclear plants would be lower than the £92.50 per mw hour strike price agreed for Hinkley Point.

He said: “It’s the first of a kind. The next ones must be cheaper and we know that,” he said, adding that costs had come down in places like France and China where there had been a pipeline of nuclear projects.