Despite the government cutting support for onshore wind back in 2016, it remains the UK’s largest and cheapest form of renewable generation.
Indeed, the energy source has played a major role in a record summer for UK renewables, with almost 52 per cent of electricity generation met by low carbon sources over the past four months.
However, many in the energy industry claim that the government’s cuts to subsidies for onshore wind have prevented the technology from making an even more meaningful contribution to our energy mix.
Shell-funded pressure group The Energy Transition Commission recently called on government to rethink its onshore wind policy, arguing the cost of wind power has fallen by 60 per cent in past five years.
ScottishPower Renewables, which recently passed the 2000MW UK milestone for installed wind generation (470MW of which has come online in the last 18 months) has also called on government to back a renewed surge in onshore wind to enable the sector to meet growing demand.
As reported by The Engineer, the company’s CEO has claimed that given the right support a further 2000MW could be built in Scotland by the end of the decade.
Against this backdrop, do you think the government should review its policy on onshore wind? Have your say in this week’s poll.
The post This week’s poll: Should the UK review its onshore wind policy? appeared first on The Engineer.