Onshore Wind Energy

Energy Security and Net Zero – in the House of Commons at on 8 October 2024.

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Photo of Gideon Amos Gideon Amos Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Housing and Planning)

What steps he is taking to help increase levels of onshore wind energy production.

Photo of Ed Miliband Ed Miliband The Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero

After nine years of the disastrous, bill-raising ban on onshore wind in England, this Government overturned the ban in our first 72 hours in office. We have also set up the onshore wind taskforce to restore the pipeline of projects destroyed by the last Government. In the recent renewables auction, almost 1 GW of onshore wind was secured at prices that make it among the lowest-cost power sources to build and operate.

Photo of Gideon Amos Gideon Amos Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Housing and Planning)

When will the Secretary of State bring forward proposals for community benefit for those living alongside wind and solar farms to greater incentivise the permitting of wind and solar farms, including Ham solar farm in my Constituency? Will that include a minimum level of compensation for the communities affected?

Photo of Ed Miliband Ed Miliband The Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero

I am sympathetic to what the hon. Gentleman says. We are working on proposals on community benefit. I believe that when communities host clean energy infrastructure, they should automatically get benefit from it. I am also sympathetic to what he said about minimum levels of support. We are discussing that with industry at the moment and will come forward with proposals soon.

Secretary of State

Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.

constituency

In a general election, each Constituency chooses an MP to represent them. MPs have a responsibility to represnt the views of the Constituency in the House of Commons. There are 650 Constituencies, and thus 650 MPs. A citizen of a Constituency is known as a Constituent