National Grid’s industry forecast report, the Future Energy Scenarios, estimates that onshore wind capacity needs to increase to more than 30 gigawatts across Great Britain by 2030.
At the current pace, it would take 4,690 years for England to meet its share of this target, according to the left-leaning thinktank IPPR.
The Guardian reports that only 17 small-scale onshore windfarms have been approved in England since 2015 when the government changed planning laws to create a de facto ban on onshore windfarms.
The IPPR’s report found that the English windfarms built onshore in the seven years since the restrictions were introduced have reached a total capacity of only 6.7 megawatts. This is just 0.02% of the onshore wind needed in England based on forecasts provided by National Grid.
The Guardian reported that a government spokesperson said the amount of renewable energy connected to Great Britain’s electricity grid had increased by 500% since 2010 and it had consulted on proposals to speed up planning permission where there is local support for onshore wind.
