Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether there is any (a) local and (b) national Government support available for decommissioning wind farms at the end of their productive life span; and if she will make a statement.

The costs of decommissioning onshore wind farms are met by developers of the projects in question. The consenting authority is able to include requirements for decommissioning and restoration of land to an acceptable condition as part of the planning approval process, which can include a requirement for developers to make adequate provisions to meet the costs of decommissioning a project.

Offshore, there is a statutory decommissioning scheme which allows the Secretary of State to compel wind farm developers to submit costed programmes for the removal of their projects with funds set aside for that purpose.