New UK Labour Government Lifts Onshore Wind Ban, Commits to Doubling Wind Power by 2030

The controversial ban, first introduced under former Prime Minister David Cameron in 2015, meant an objection from just one person over an onshore wind farm development in England could prevent it from going ahead.

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The de facto ban on new onshore wind projects in the UK has been dropped by the newly elected Labour government, a move that environmentalists and energy experts had long called for.

In a policy paper published Monday, the government reiterated its commitment to doubling onshore wind energy by 2030 – a move which it says would “help boost Britain’s energy independence, save money on energy bills, support high-skilled jobs and tackle the climate crisis” – and announced the removal of barriers that for the past decade hindered the development of new wind infrastructure in the country.

The clampdown on new onshore wind projects was introduced in 2015 by then Prime Minister David Cameron, who said that the country had enough wind projects. At the time, wind accounted for 10% of the total energy mix. Cameron introduced two onshore footnotes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) – the rules that govern the planning and development of homes and infrastructure in the UK. The footnotes, which only applied to wind projects – required strong proof that there was no opposition to new wind turbines at the local level, effectively making new projects almost impossible to execute.

“The removal of these tests from planning policy means that onshore wind applications will be treated in the same way as other energy development proposals,” the government said, adding that the changes would take effect immediately.

Wind has grown to be the UK’s largest source of renewable energy and second-largest among low-carbon sources behind just nuclear, accounting for 29.4% of the country’s energy mix in 2023. Dominating the energy market is gas, while coal – which the UK phased out faster than any other G20 nation – represented less than 1%. By October 2024, the nation plans to phase out all remaining coal fired power stations. 

Monday’s announcement was celebrated by environmental campaigners and energy experts.

In a statement released on Monday, RenewableUK’s Chief Executive Dan McGrail expressed delight at the “long overdue” move, adding that public support for onshore wind is “sky-high.” According to the non-profit renewables trade association, delivering 30 gigawatts of onshore wind by the end of the decade could boost the economy by £45 billion (US$57.6 billion) and create about 27,000 jobs.

“Modern turbines are substantially more efficient and powerful than the turbines built in previous decades, so doubling the UK’s onshore wind capacity by 2030 won’t mean doubling the number of turbines in the UK. We can generate more power from fewer new turbines, and we can replace older turbines with far more powerful ones, making the most of our superb natural wind resources,” the statement read.

Greenpeace UK Chief Scientist Doug Parr also celebrated the announcement, saying the long-standing ban was “self-defeating for energy security, costly, and lost opportunities to cut emissions.” The NGO had previously launched a petition urging former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to scrap it.

The Labour Party won the election in a landslide last week, ending 14 years of Conservative rules. Earlier this year, the party’s leader and new Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced an £8.3 billion (US$10.5 billion) investment in floating wind farms to enhance energy security and create jobs, furthering their pledge to decarbonize the UK by 2030.

However, Labour’s environmental strategy is not without criticism. The party recently faced backlash after announcing it would markedly scale back its decarbonization plans, reducing the annual allocation from £28 billion to £23.7 billion (US$29.9 billion) over five years. The decision, driven by concerns over fiscal responsibility, reflects Labour’s endeavor to reconcile environmental goals with financial realities, utilizing funds from both borrowing and a windfall tax on oil and gas companies.