Onshore Wind Power
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Members of Parliament (MPs) across the House of Commons have been calling for the Government to undertake swift action to further establish the UK’s energy independence to prevent a similar crisis appearing in our energy markets again.
Despite Darren and his Labour colleagues supporting amendments to include onshore energy in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), the Government refuses to act and leaves the UK vulnerable to further shocks in the energy markets.
You can read Darren’s position on onshore wind power below:
Dear Constituent,
Thank you for contacting me about onshore wind power. As you may know, I am a passionate advocate for green energy.
I agree with you on this important issue. Onshore wind is the cheapest, cleanest source of energy we have. Yet, since 2015 the Government has effectively banned new developments in England through its National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), keeping bills high and damaging our energy security.
As you will know, during the passage of the Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill through the House of Commons last year, several amendments that would have removed the block on onshore wind in the NPPF were considered. Unfortunately, none of these amendments were passed. Instead, the Government committed to consulting on ensuring local support for onshore wind, including changes to national planning policy.
I was concerned at the time that the Government’s announcement of a consultation represented a failure to properly lift the ban or provide clarity. I believed it meant simply further delay and the continued denial to Britain, in the middle of an energy crisis, of lower energy bills and improved energy security. And indeed, when the Government published its consultation, the proposals it put forward were met with bitter disappointment by the renewable energy industry, which said they would do “almost nothing” to remove the ban.
If the Government is serious about cutting bills, strengthening our security, creating good jobs, growing our economy and tackling the climate crisis, it needs to end the ban, bring consenting for onshore wind in line with other infrastructure and support councils in proactively identifying local opportunities for onshore wind deployment. And more widely, I believe we need to double our onshore wind capacity as part of a plan to make Britain a clean energy superpower, with a zero-carbon electricity system by 2030. I can therefore assure you that I will continue to support efforts to press the Government on this issue.
Thank you once again for contacting me.
Yours sincerely,
DarrenDarren Jones MP
Member of Parliament for Bristol North West