Government Committee Calls For End to Onshore Wind Ban And Claims UK Will ,Miss Renewable Energy Targets

An all-party government committee has claimed the UK will miss its target of decarbonizing the power sector by 2035 at its current pace. The Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee (BEIS) is also calling for the end to the ban on constructing new onshore wind farms in its latest report, Decarbonization of the Power Sector. As well as ensuring ports in the UK have the right capacity to support offshore wind ambitions, the report calls for a overturning of the de facto ban on onshore wind. It says: “The government’s strategy to decarbonize the power sector includes some gaps and risks that must be addressed. “Most notably, the government must overturn the de facto ban on one of the cheapest forms of renewable electricity, onshore wind, in England and create a policy framework that supports the deployment of this technology.” The report adds that the UK “must rapidly increase the generation of fossil fuel-free electricity”. “If we fail, there will be a physical limit to the volume of electric vehicles, electric heat pumps and other newly electrified processes that can be powered through low-carbon electricity.” “At the current pace of change, the UK is set to fail to hit its target of decarbonizing the power sector by 2035.” BEIS further believes that missing this target will seriously infringe the UK’s chances of reaching net zero by 2050 but argues that the 2035 target is achievable if the right changes are made to current policy. The paper continues: “This [missing the 2035 target] in turn will fundamentally undermine our ability to hit net zero by 2050.

“To be Clear, a Secure, Decarbonized And Cost Effective Electricity.

system can be delivered by 2035, with the political will to do it.” The report adds: “For too long, policies for the power sector have been designed in silos, without adequate consideration of how they all interrelate and fit together. One consequence of this is that low-carbon projects are now facing delays of up to fifteen years to connect to the electricity network. “The government must become more involved in coordinating delivery, including the provision of an overarching delivery plan, reporting on national progress, and unlocking problems more quickly. “Alongside this need for enhanced political leadership, we recommend that the energy regulator Ofgem be given a net zero mandate.” To achieve both net zero and decarbonization of the sector, BEIS believe the government must offer a better investment opportunity for international organizations. he paper reads: “The key test for the government will be how it creates an investment offer that dramatically increases and speeds up the delivery of financeable projects across the country. “To unlock this investment, not only will the government need to provide a response to competition from overseas for investment in low-carbon energy, but also play a more active role in coordinating and pushing through the required upgrades to transmission and distribution networks and speeding up the process for planning consents and grid connections.”