Renewables First Ltd’s Post

It was great to see the onshore wind ban in England lifted yesterday, almost 20 years since I first worked on a wind project.   Political campaigners have been quick to jump on anti-renewables campaigns especially when it comes to wind, but how easy will the future be for onshore wind? Five short reflections:   1. Lived experience is not anti-windfarm A quick look at a dozen operational windfarms in England that I worked on, 4 constituencies switched from Cons to Lab on Thursday & 4 switched from Cons to LibDem. The policies on support for renewables & wind were clear, so having lived through the construction and operation of a local windfarm, there was no fear for these voters in electing politicians who would back more of the same.   2. Latent community support for wind The SEC Newgate UK research on community sentiment towards infrastructure projects earlier this year found 70% of the public have a favourable opinion of onshore wind & separately 70% of people would support renewable energy projects in their local area.   3. Addressing concerns through renewables That research also found headline issues of concern for the public were the cost of living, cost of energy and energy security. Onshore wind is part of the solution to those concerns and linking them will help build support.   4. Lack of public information 14 years without onshore wind has created a vacuum of information in England, both for communities and decision-makers. Our research found nearly six in ten people did not feel they had enough info about renewable energy projects to participate in the planning process and almost 70% of people living close to an infrastructure project either did not engage because of lack of information or engaged but felt insufficiently informed.   5. Engagement is key At a time when the public seek energy solutions, when residents largely back renewable energy and when we have a national political landscape which is supportive, we cannot be complacent about the ease of achieving planning consents. Local opposition will still be present & council elections over the coming years will inevitably polarise the local and national political dynamic, so early intelligence-led engagement and meaningful discussions about community benefits & initiatives such as discount schemes can help to tackle problems before they arise.   The SEC Newgate team has experience of more than 50 windfarms across every corner of the UK. Our team of consultants across the country are not only on hand to work with wind developers on their new sites, but we are also excited to be part of the team that restores this much-needed part of the energy mix to its rightful place.  Get in touch if you would like to discuss your projects or the findings of our community sentiment research. Emily Sharp Douglas Johnson Rebecca Coleman Paul Kelly Greg Rosen Perry Miller Leyla Hart-Svensson #onshorewind #renewables #planning #consultation #engagement #advoacy #communications #insights

The #KingsSpeech today included some key info on how the government plans to turn the UK into a 'clean energy superpower'. Good Energy chief executive Nigel Pocklington said:   “GB Energy, a national wealth fund and speeding up offshore wind are all good routes to progress on large scale renewable infrastructure.    “We must not forget that in energy, small can be big too — the UK’s rooftop solar has a greater total capacity than our largest power station. And Good Energy’s data has indicated that the power it exports to the grid has been underestimated.   “We have heard the Labour government wants to create a ‘rooftop revolution’. Let’s make sure people are part of the solution to the climate crisis by turning millions of homes into micro power stations.” #renewableenergy #cleanenergy #climatechange #carbon #zerocarbon #renewableelectricity #renewables #solarpower #rooftopsolar

Michael Gove's recent announcement is a significant step toward a greener and more sustainable future. But while this move aims to boost energy security and promote a cleaner, greener economy, it's important to acknowledge that several challenges remain for those eager to forge ahead in the wind energy sector. Under the revised system, local communities will have a stronger voice, as councils will now be required to consider the views of the entire community rather than being swayed by a single objection. While this is undoubtedly a positive step in the right direction, some argue that we could go even further. Planning for onshore wind will still be difficult to obtain, but here at Shawton Energy, we can install rooftop solar via permitted development and save energy right away. We can even support you with funding options, including a fully funded PPA, which enables organisations to make the switch to low-cost renewable energy. Instead of purchasing 100% of your electricity from the grid, you self-generate a percentage of your daytime consumption, by way of a fully installed Solar PV system on your land. Shawton Energy will coordinate the financing, assess your organisation’s needs, design, construct and install your system, and then maintain and monitor its performance – all at no cost to you. Find out more: 📞 01925 220 338 ✉ hello@shawton.co.uk #RenewableEnergy #WindPower #Sustainability #GreenFutureCapital

Labour announces the end of a ‘de facto ban on onshore wind farms’ in England, with further plans to enable larger wind projects to be determined by the energy secretary. A move that would bring wind developments and other large scale infrastructure projects to the government for review where the potential gain for the regional and national economies warrants it. The UK faces a huge challenge to reach Zero-Carbon Electricity by 2030 and the decarbonisation of the energy sectors will be key to this. Gerald Eve are leading advisors in this space and are working with landowners and developers across the UK to support the delivery of low carbon projects. https://okt.to/ftujmb Please contact a member of our Energy Team for advice. John Howells, Sarah Stewart, Delia Batt, Carla Jokić, Sarah Howie, James Keir MRICS

Two sides of a coin? Tomorrow we will hear directly from many of the major US offshore wind developers, who are all seeking increased state support, to shore up future investor confidence for homegrown wind. That argument only grows stronger when you see a strong commitment from UK govt to further boost their own renewable energy infrastructure investment plans through enhanced subsidy support. I can call out the UK govt on many, many areas of (failed) policy over recent days/weeks/months/years but on this occasion, they’ve got it right. Is Biden listening? #financingwind

Great analysis Andy - this statistic was particularly startling: “…..at the current pace of development, it would take the UK 4,690 years to increase its onshore capacity by 30 gigawatts – a target the Government wants to reach in just seven years.” The policy changes announced last week are welcome but only marginal in the context of UK net zero aspirations. Fortunately, many authorities have declared a climate emergency and this will be more important in shaping the coming phase of investment in renewable energy and storage.

Among the many subtextual stories to emerge following the Labour Party (UK)'s landslide election victory is the impact the government's plans for national #cleanenergy company #GBEnergy could have in boosting development of the country's flagship industrial-scale #floatingwind projects. Here, in Recharge , Corio Generation CEO Jonathan Cole's understated view: 'Those projects might find a source of capital they don't otherwise have. That could be useful.' https://lnkd.in/e6waJbJf RenewableUK WORLD FORUM OFFSHORE WIND (WFO) Scottish Renewables International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) Floating Wind Days Floating Wind Solutions FOWT Conference #offshorewind #decarbonization #oceanindustries #newnorthsea #energytranstion #netzero #offshoreenergy

Labour’s agreement on the urgent need for planning reform, grid upgrades, and more renewable energy is welcome, but there are challenges around the materials needed to support such monumental efforts. Read more of my thoughts in this ReNews round-up, or get in touch https://lnkd.in/e4tD4wAV

Floating wind farms are important if the offshore wind industry is to grow into new areas. Around 80% of global offshore wind potential is thought to be in areas where the seabed is too deep for fixed-bottom projects. Even so, the focus on floating wind in this headline seems a little odd, as the technology is hardly mentioned elsewhere in the story; and there is already support for floating wind in UK waters, including with the ScotWind regime. Labour may well accelerate support for floating wind if it wins the UK's 2024 general election and delivers on its plans for a state-backed company, called Great British Energy, to back the rollout of renewables with an £8.3bn budget. But the ruling Conservative Party has been providing support for pilot floating wind projects. We can be critical of other aspects of its renewables and net zero strategy, but let's at least give credit where it's due. The bigger policy difference is around support for new oil and gas permits in the UK, which the Conservatives plan to continue and Labour plans to veto. We are also keen to hear more about Labour's plans for onshore wind, where the Conservative Party's headline-grabbing announcement of an 'end' to the de facto ban on onshore wind projects in England last September has failed to encourage new applications. Shadow energy minister Ed Miliband last month promised Labour would end to the ban and change planning rules, but how? As for floating wind, it can play a role in the UK's net zero plans, and it makes sense for the next government to provide the backing to help the technology reach commercial maturity. But, to quickly grow renewables, it would seem to make sense to focus in the short-term on more established technologies such as onshore and fixed-bottom offshore wind. I'm sure there'll be plenty said about this in the months ahead. This promises to be a very long election campaign. #offshorewind #onshorewind #renewableenergy Follow: A Word About Wind / Energy Storage Report / Tamarindo

Danish energy developer Ørsted just canceled two large offshore projects in the US. According to the company, supply chain issues (delays), rising interest rates, and lack of new tax cuts are behind it. I'm particularly interested in the supply chain issues which, according to Ørsted: "[we are] being hit by delays to suppliers and contractors, like wind turbine component manufacturers and the specialized ships needed to install the large machines." (https://lnkd.in/dUy294Ai) Also, it seems that turbine manufacturers (i.e., Siemens Gamesa) hiked prices by 30% (https://lnkd.in/dMXHDJFQ). All this means the company needs to sustain the delays with their cash, which at current interest rates becomes pretty expensive. I keep wondering, too, if the decision is politically motivated. If the projects keep getting delayed, they might be weaponized by the GOP if they win the presidential race next year (which seems fairly probable). Then, the losses will be stacking and really drag the company down. Either way, I think it's a cautionary tale about the "speed" at which we can scale our renewables. https://lnkd.in/dmXYwmgK #renewableenergy #offshorewind #orsted #US #Biden #wind #energy #greenenergy #windturbines