Labour calls on Boris Johnson to lift the ban on onshore wind, and offers to work with government to pass legislation to commit to clean, cheap, British energy

The Labour Party is today offering its parliamentary support on onshore wind so Boris Johnson can stop making decisions to appease his backbenchers and instead act in the national interest and finally lift the moratorium on onshore wind.

This comes as new analysis by Labour reveals that doubling onshore wind power could save households up to £200 per year off their energy bills. Onshore wind is one of the cheapest, quickest forms of power available. 

Households across the country have been paying more for their energy bills for the last seven years because of the Conservative’s ban on new onshore wind projects in 2015. The effective ban has also cost the UK clean power capacity equivalent to all our Russian gas imports over the same period of time.

Ed Miliband MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State of Climate Change and Net Zero said:

“Families across the country are paying more on their energy bills because of the Government’s ban on onshore wind, which also makes us more dependent on imported oil and gas.

“If Boris Johnson does not have the strength to do the right thing for the country and face down his backbenchers, Labour is making clear it will support changes to end the onshore wind ban.

“We are offering to provide Boris Johnson with the votes he needs to bring forward changes to the planning regime to drive forward the onshore wind revolution, while also giving a clear say to local communities.

“And if he doesn’t, we will seek to work with others to bring forward the legislation ourselves.

“For our energy security, to cut bills and to tackle the climate crisis, we need a green energy sprint. Britain deserves better than to be held to ransom by Conservative backbenchers. Where this Government cannot lead, Labour will.”

Ends

Notes to Editors

• The Conservatives’ ban on new onshore wind projects in 2015 destroyed the market, with project approvals falling 97%; in 5 years between 2016-2021, only 20 new turbines were granted planning permission in England. That ban has cost us clean power capacity equivalent to all our Russian gas imports over the same period of time.
• Since 2015, onshore wind has faced a uniquely restrictive planning framework, requiring unanimous consent and a requirement on Local Authorities to proactively set out in their Local Area Plan areas where they would like prospective onshore windfarm developments to be. 89% of Local Authorities failed to allocate any areas, making onshore wind impossible in those locations.
  
  

• The £200 per household is estimated based on the additional capacity onshore wind could provide which would be cheaper than relying on gas.
• Industry estimates are Onshore wind costs around £50/MWh, compared with around £200 / MWh for gas.
• An additional 15GW of onshore wind in 2030, could result in savings of c. £6.4bn a year (in 2030 prices) compared on using gas. This analysis is based on scaling up estimates done for the 5GW we have missed out due to the current moratorium on onshore wind. The link can be found here.
• Dividing this before the number of households expected in 2030, means a cost of £213 per year, per household.
  
  
• Labour has called for a doubling of capacity to 30GW by 2030 to power an extra 10 million homes; adding £45bn to the UK economy and creating 27,000 high quality jobs, as part of a green energy sprint to cut bills and deliver energy independence for the UK. But the target alone is not enough; it needs the action on planning, grid, and contracts for difference auctions to make it happen.