In 2017 the UK has seen a record high amount of onshore wind turbine installations, with a record of 2,611 MW onshore wind capacity added to the national grid, representing more than 20% of all onshore wind in the UK.
The vast majority of subsidised installations were carried out outside of England, with 1,673 MW installed in Scotland, 356 MW in Wales and 247 MW in Northern Ireland.
Although the spike in the installation of renewables and the greater share of clean energy in our grid might seem like a great opportunity to celebrate, the trade bodies warn, that without a change in policy, this progress could sharply drop in the coming years.
Under the current Government policy, new onshore wind projects are excluded from applications in the auctions for Contracts for Difference in England, which means that new investments in onshore wind are expected to significantly drop without the necessary subsidies from the Government and the future of the sector might remain uncertain.
Several reports published over recent years state that onshore wind projects are the cheapest way to deliver clean energy to our grid, and blocking such developments could have adverse effects on the costs of energy across the UK, automatically increasing our energy bills.
Energy consultancy BVG Associates calculated in their report, that England is missing out on a great amount of clean energy added to the grid from onshore wind, and removal of the exclusion of the onshore wind in Contracts for Difference could have the potential to deliver around 5 GW of onshore wind capacity between 2019 and 2025, which could result in a net payback of £1.6 bn to UK households and firms.
According to the spokesperson for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, "Our renewables sector is a British success story and we already have 7,000 onshore wind turbines across the UK, generating enough electricity to power seven million homes.
Following consultation earlier this year we have now laid legislation to enable Remote Island wind projects to compete in Pot two auctions. The Government does not believe new large-scale onshore wind power is right for England."
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