Minister says onshore wind policy remains unchanged

The acting energy minister has said he is “personally relaxed” about making it easier to develop onshore wind farms, while making it plain that the government’s hard line on such schemes remains in place.

Under cross examination by the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee yesterday afternoon (16 July) about the government’s Clean Growth Strategy, Chris Skidmore was pressed on whether the government is prepared to alter its stance on onshore wind.

The government has excluded onshore wind projects from bidding in Contracts for Difference (CfD) auctions, while tightening the planning rules on bringing such schemes forward.

Skidmore told the committee that the proven reductions in the costs of delivering offshore wind through the CfD process means that it “might be possible” to widen its scope to onshore projects, which the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) sees as vital for achieving the net-zero goal by 2050.

He said: “I am personally relaxed about the potential of looking at onshore for the future because if we are honest, we will need to expand the number of renewable energy sources.”

But Skidmore, who supported the recent parliamentary motion declaring a climate emergency in the UK, said there is “no change” in the government’s onshore wind position as set out in its last general election manifesto, which he emphasised is “intact”.

“The planning tension is around local communities being engaged without scaring people, which is the last thing we want to do. When we look at expanding the sources of green energy, we want to do it in a way that can be taken up with enthusiasm.”

He also told the committee that the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is working on a cross-departmental bid for the pan government spending review, which is pencilled in to take place in the autumn, around tackling climate change.

“Getting net zero across the lines involves a number of conversations with the Treasury,” said Skidmore, who is acting as interim energy minister while Claire Perry takes time off to care for a sick relative.

He said he “hoped” that the government’s energy white paper would be out by October when it is due to deliver its response to CCC’s progress report. And he also expressed disagreement with the £1 trillion quote for the cost of meeting the net-zero target cited by chancellor Philip Hammond in a leaked letter.