TIMES RED BOX: It is right for those living near onshore wind developments to get help with their energy bills

The debate on onshore wind continues to rage, with the desire to decarbonise pitted against the desire to protect beautiful unspoilt countryside. As the government seeks to address the energy trilemma- keeping bills down, keeping the lights on and achieving net zero, it is clear that onshore wind will be part of the energy mix.

The government’s recent decision to launch a consultation on the national planning framework for onshore wind development is welcome news, as is their commitment to consulting on new ideas.

Decisions about siting onshore wind developments should fully involve the local communities that will live beside them. They should be an active part of the decision when it comes to the planning process, with residents living within a visibility radius of 0-5 miles invited to take part in a referendum on any such application. Local agreement with a simple majority should be material in deciding whether to reject or approve.

For many, this democratic approach won't persuade them, and those with strong and valid objections will rightly be furious. So it is right that those who live within, say, 2 miles of a new onshore wind farm development should get their energy bills paid for the life of the project, in line with the average of, say, their last three annual bills. People living further away from the wind farm - say 2-3 miles should receive 50% of their bills, with those living 3-5 miles away receiving a 20% contribution if planners agree there is visual or audible blight.

Then those who are disappointed to be overruled by a local decision will at least have the significant compensation of having their energy bills paid for up to 20 years.

This approach is already being trialled and in some locations, is well underway. Market Weighton in East Yorkshire, Halifax in Yorkshire and Caerphilly in South Wales are members of Octopus Energy’s ‘Fan Club,’ having registered their interest in having a wind turbine located in their community. The provider launched the first energy tariff in 2021 to give customers the benefit of local renewable energy production in real-time, and since then, they have enjoyed cheaper, 100% renewable electricity whenever their local turbines are spinning. Making use of data on grid availability, wind speed and environmental impact, Octopus are continuing to match-make willing landowners with communities across the UK who want to host a turbine. Not quite as generous as I am proposing, but at least recognising local residents have skin in the game.

For developers who want to avoid paying energy bills for the life of the project, it clearly creates and incentivises them to consider their options carefully. In the 'bad old days' wind farm developers notoriously looked for the cheapest grid connection, regardless of whether it was a windy area, and regardless of local objections. I had one such application in my constituency where the developer (not a UK resident) was quite explicit in explaining to me he was 'subsidy farming'. It is my belief that the potential cost to developers of subsidising local energy bills will 'persuade' them to site their wind farms away from dense settlements and communities, and apply for planning permission on sites that aren’t ‘loved’ by local residents - who would object to wind turbines lining the sides of a number of Britain’s motorways?

Communities know what they want and what will work for their area. This local focused approach can help boost the UK’s energy security, turbocharge our quest for Net Zero and actively encourage communities to ‘green’ their local area whilst reducing their energy bills. It’s time for this idea to be embraced.

This article originally appeared on Times Red Box.