UK - BWEA response to John Hutton’s speech

BWEA today welcomed UK Business and Enterprise Secretary John Hutton’s speech calling on local councils to pass the backlog of planning applications for new wind farms. Currently, the equivalent of 6% of the UK’s electricity supply is stuck in the planning system awaiting decision.

Illustrating the problem, the BWEA has launched a report entitled ‘Progress to 2010’ which demonstrates the blockages in the planning system that are in serious danger of making the UK miss the target of sourcing 10% of its electricity from renewables by 2010.

There are enough proposals already in the planning system to enable government to meet the 2010 renewable energy target – if only the system were unblocked.

"The Govt, at all levels, mustn't be afraid of local nimbys" said BWEA Chief Executive Maria McCaffery - "The 2010 renewables target can still be met but the time to act on our renewables targets is now"

Currently 4.5% of the UK’s electricity is supplied by renewable energy (1.5% by wind power). A further 3.3% of wind energy, both onshore and offshore, is consented and expected to be operational by 2010, while other renewable sources are likely to be generating an additional 1% by that date. This leaves a gap of 1.2%, or 1,300 megawatts (MW) that still needs to be approved in order to reach the target on time. Because it takes nearly 3 years from planning approval to project completion there are only at most 6 months left to get the decisions made.

Over half the blockage is sitting with the Scottish Executive, despite their having made 3 decisions in the past fortnight (only one of which was an approval) there had only previously been 2 decisions in 15 months and there are still over 4,000MW worth of electricity that they have the power to pass, while English & Welsh local authorities are sitting on a further 2,000MW and John Hutton's own officials at BERR could release another 320MW.

The BWEA is calling for action at all three levels of Govt. to get decisions taken ASAP. We want:

• Hutton to approve the 320 MW waiting for approval on Whitehall desks
• The new SNP Executive to make good on its recent renewables fanfare & keep up the pace on approvals
• All political parties to tackle their own nimby local councillors to get applications passed at a local level.

For further information contact:
Charles Anglin
Director of Communications
0774 002 3641