Baroness Quin
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are planning changes to their support for onshore wind farms.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change (Baroness Verma)
My Lords, the Government are committed to supporting renewable energy as part of a diverse, low-carbon and secure energy mix alongside gas and low-carbon transport fuels, nuclear power and carbon capture and storage. Renewable energy brings energy security, the decarbonisation of our economy and green growth. Our ambition for a central scenario of up to 13 gigawatts of onshore wind, as set out in the Renewable Energy Roadmap, of course remains. Onshore wind is one of the most cost-effective, large-scale renewable technologies, and the Government are committed to ensuring that onshore wind remains part of the UK’s energy mix.
Baroness Quin
My Lords, my Question was prompted by the situation in Northumberland, which has far more onshore wind farms than any other county in England. Is the Minister aware of the concern there that excessive subsidy-driven wind farm development is potentially harming other parts of our regional economy, particularly the tourist industry, which has achieved a great deal in recent years? While being supportive of renewables and, obviously, of achieving a good energy mix, I ask the Government, in their review of the economic and environmental aspects of wind farm development, to look at the situation in Northumberland in particular.
Baroness Verma
My Lords, the noble Baroness raises important points that are relevant to Northumberland. I reassure her that all wind farms must be well designed and well sited to be approved, and applications for onshore wind farms can be turned down because of local concerns. The Government have taken this issue very seriously, which is why we called for evidence. That consultation has recently closed. We are looking at what the response has been to that and we will report back in spring, with a full report in May.
Lord Cormack
My Lords, will my noble friend heed what was said by the noble Baroness opposite? Onshore wind farms are unreliable, uneconomical and unsightly, and Mr John Hayes voiced the views of many people in this country when he said, “Enough is enough”.
Baroness Verma
I reassure noble Lords that we have taken the concerns of local constituencies very seriously, which was why we called for evidence. However, this does not mean that we will be changing our policy. Government policy remains that onshore wind will continue to be part of ensuring that we have a diverse mix of renewable energy sources.
Lord Walton of Detchant
My Lords, I live in the village of Belford in north Northumberland, where two overseas companies have planned huge wind farms of 150 metre tall turbines in areas of outstanding natural beauty at Middleton Burn and Belford Burn. This is against the wishes of 92% of the local populace. Is it not time that planning authorities took full account of all the relevant factors before approving such exercises, before this country’s most beautiful countryside is irrecoverably scarred?
Baroness Verma
My Lords, I do not quite know how to repeat myself, but I will try yet again. The Government did take on board the concerns of some communities, and we did have a call for evidence. That consultation has recently closed. We are looking very closely at the responses to that call for evidence, but we need to ensure that onshore is part of the renewable energy mix in order to meet our targets for 2020. Onshore schemes also bring real benefit to the local communities they are set in. I very much take on board the points raised by the noble Lord and others, but we are mindful that this needs to be part of a bigger picture.
Lord Hughes of Woodside
My Lords, while surely understanding the concern of my noble friend, will the Minister not be deterred by those who stridently demand more and more renewable sources of energy, yet oppose every attempt to provide them? We should therefore stand by the policy of supporting wind farms, and supporting diversity, including the use of nuclear power.
Baroness Verma
My Lords, that was what I hoped and tried to get across; obviously I failed. I would like to reiterate that this Government want to be the greenest Government ever, and in doing that are of course looking at all renewable energies. Onshore wind is only a small part of the renewable energy sector, but it is an important one, one that is very cost effective, and one that will hopefully be part of our energy security for the future.
Lord Teverson
My Lords, one of the issues about onshore wind is that we pay generators to stop generating, so the wind turbines actually stop operating. That costs us money. Would it be a much better solution if we used that energy: if we kept on generating electricity, and we topped up the storage heaters and the hot water tanks of the fuel poor? Instead of paying generators not to generate, we could use that electricity to help fuel poverty. I understand that the technology is already there; why do we not use it?
Baroness Verma
My Lords, my noble friend raises a number of very important points. The Government recognise that smart electric heating may in future provide a low-carbon solution to a range of energy challenges, including balancing the supply of electricity. DECC’s heat strategy team have had constructive discussions with utilities and manufacturers to discuss this potential further. The Government will publish a document on the strategic framework for heat in the coming months.
Lord Empey
My Lords, will the noble Baroness confirm that, because of the intermittent nature of wind power, there will be—there can be—no reduction in generating capacity from fossil fuel and nuclear sources? In this country cold weather, such as that we had two years ago, tends to be accompanied by high pressure, which means no wind. The intermittent nature of wind power will therefore not result in a reduction in fossil fuel or nuclear generation.
Baroness Verma
My Lords, that is why we look at onshore as being a part—a small part—of the renewable energy mix.