The UK Government has presented new Wind Farm Planning Guidance which will enable local opposition to reject proposed wind farms. However, the Government still considers that it can meet its national energy targets by offering greater incentives to local people in the form of subsidies. The package of measures will see a five-fold rise in the benefits paid by wind farm developers to communities agreeing to host wind farms.
The subsidies could mean the locals hosting a medium-sized wind farm getting £100k a year off of their combined fuel bills. Alternatively, the money could be spent on energy efficiencies in the hosting community, or perhaps even other non-fuel-related initiatives. It will be up to the local community to decide how to spend the money. The government said the measures would ensure local communities had a greater stake in the planning process and expect the energy industry to improve its community benefit packages by the end of the year.
The subsidy increase will be from £1,000 per megawatt (MW) of installed capacity per year to £5,000 per MW per year, payable annually for the lifetime of the wind farm. UK Energy Secretary Edward Davey said: “It is important that onshore wind is developed in a way that is truly sustainable – economically, environmentally and socially – and today’s announcement will ensure that communities see the windfall from hosting developments near to them, not just the wind farm”.
“We want to give local communities a greater say on planning, to give greater weight to the protection of landscape, heritage and local amenity.”
In 2008, about 70% of applications were approved, but approvals were only 35% in 2012. In 2011, onshore wind farms generated 3% of the UK’s electricity supply, generating enough power for the equivalent of 2.5 million homes. Over 4,000 turbines are in operation across the country, with almost 6,000 under or awaiting construction or in the planning system.