Environmental Audit Committee Chairman responds to Prime Minister’s announcement on wind power

Reacting to the Prime Minister’s announcement on UK wind power, Environmental Audit Committee Chairman, Rt Hon Philip Dunne MP, said:

“The Prime Minister’s ambition for UK wind to power every home by 2030 is a vote of confidence for the sector, and could be instrumental in our path to net zero.

“My Committee has heard that the offshore wind sector is optimistic about reaching 40gw by 2030, and the UK has the experts and technology to make it happen. The benefits to local economies and our export potential once we have finessed our wind sector could be significant.

“But reaching 40gw is no easy feat and the Government must work closely with industry to overcome challenges that are limiting progress. This includes resolving issues around electricity transmission to get new offshore wind farms connected to the grid and investing in new deep-water ports that are needed for the increased size of turbine blades. We also need to be mindful that new infrastructure must not compromise precious ecosystems, which is vital to the UK’s biodiversity.

“This is a significant step in the right direction. I look forward to seeing the detail of the Government’s strategy of how we get to 40gw of wind power by 2030, in particular the contribution from floating wind, in the coming weeks and months.”

Notes to editors:

• More details of the Environmental Audit Committee’s work on offshore wind can be found here: https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/62/environmental-audit-committee/news/114719/grid-connection-deep-water-ports-and-supporting-smes-eac-sets-out-how-government-can-strengthen-uk-offshore-wind/