Sir Keir Starmer has set himself the ambitious goal of doubling the amount of electricity generated in the UK from land-based turbines. Credit: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images
Boroughs will not be able to veto new wind farms on their doorsteps as Labor plans to reach Net Zero.
Sir Keir Starmer said ministers will be able to use “mechanism” for overcoming objections. as he promised to “support the builders, not the blockers”.
The Labor leader has set himself the ambitious goal of doubling the amount of electricity the UK generates from land-based turbines by the end of this decade. To do this, he said he would lift the de facto ban on the construction of new wind farms and lift the planning rules to speed up their approval.
Sir Keir was asked what would happen under his green plans if local communities objected to the construction nearby a new energy facility.
He told the BBC: “Then we have to have a mechanism by which we can move forward, because otherwise you will be faced with a situation where everyone says that there should be more renewable energy, onshore wind, but I just don't want him to be around me. Therefore, we must have a situation in which we can solve this problem.”
Asked if this means residents won't have veto power, he added: “I hope we don't get to that, because I think if we get through this we can get somewhere where there will be real consensus and the community will see the benefit.
“But yes, there must come a point where if we're going to move forward, we won't have simple individual vetoes across the country.”
Onshore Winds
Sir Keir made the remarks ahead of a speech in Edinburgh, during which he outlined his vision for making the UK a clean energy superpower.
According to his plans, local councils will have to identify land that can be turned over for green electricity production such as wind and solar farms.
People living in communities where new renewable energy projects are being built will be rewarded , receiving money from his electricity bills.
Richard Graham, Conservative MP for Gloucester, said wind farms should be decided by “local democracy” and not “overruled by central government inspectors.”< /p>
Sir Keir has also faced criticism from industry leaders over his announcement that he will block all new North Sea oil and gas production.
The Labor leader insisted that “the moment for decisive action is now” despite warnings that his policies will cost thousands of well-paying jobs.
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David Whitehouse, head of Offshore Energies UK, warned that the move would be “damaging to the industry, consumers and the UK's ambition to achieve zero emissions.”
“Consumers and businesses will not forgive anyone who shuts down the UK oil and gas industry only to replace it with oil and gas imports from overseas,” he said.
The Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce, where many oil and gas producers are based, said the policy was “not based on the realities of the energy transition”. Ryan Crichton, its policy director, said the move “would alienate the very companies they want to partner with to make the UK a clean energy superpower.” A spokesman for the Conservative Party said: “Labour has energy. A surrender plan to cancel British oil and gas and an economic plan to saddle the British people with billions of debts and loans.
“Labor’s energy policy appeases their environmentally bigoted treasurers and puts dictators like Putin in charge of fixing the value of your bills.” for electricity.
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