UK Support For Onshore Wind Farms To Cease, Locals To Get Planning Authority
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Following the recent UK elections and the re-election of the Conservative Party, the new Energy and Climate Change Secretary, Amber Rudd, has announced that the government will likely end support for new onshore wind farms, and hand planning authority over to local authorities.
Speaking to The Sunday Times, Amber Rudd dismissed the idea that she thought wind farms were an eyesore, saying that she “quite enjoyed seeing” wind farms. However, she is well aware just how decisive the placement of wind farms can be within the community, and intends to put “the local community back in charge.”
In addition, Rudd plans to follow through on her party’s election promises to end subsidies for new onshore wind farms.
“It will mean no more onshore wind farm subsidies and no more onshore wind farms without local community support,” Rudd said to The Sunday Times. “This is really important. I’ve already got my team working on it. That’s going to be one of the first things we’re going to do.”
And, given this recent intervention, and Rudd’s desire to “put a rocket under the team to get it done,” Jessica Shankelman over at BusinessGreen suggests that this legislation may end up as part of the Queen’s Speech, set for May 27.
Rudd also told The Sunday Times that she intends to allow extraction of shale gas below national parks, as long as the drilling takes place from outside the park itself. This, more than the wind subsidy legislation, is likely to kick up a stink.
“With a Conservative majority I believe we’ll be able to deliver shale, as we’ve always wanted to do, in a safe but beneficial way,” said Rudd.
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