Open letter from MPs to the prime minister
Dear Prime Minister
Onshore Wind Energy
We are delighted that you have pledged to ensure that the UK achieves net zero greenhouse gas emissions before 2050. Onshore wind energy is vital to achieving this at least cost.
Onshore wind is the cheapest new source of energy in the UK today - and the UK is the windiest country in Europe. Wind has great potential to benefit our local communities, our economy and our environment. New government policy is now needed to realise these benefits.
Onshore wind can play a key role in an ambitious industrial strategy delivering clean, cheap and smart energy to businesses and consumers alike. As well as being the cheapest new energy source, clean or otherwise, there is welcome excitement expressed by energy industry companies, both small and large, about the growth opportunities that onshore wind presents.
Furthermore, onshore wind energy is vital to our aim of achieving our climate targets at least cost and the inspiring vision of a before-2050 net zero greenhouse gas emissions target.
Local communities also stand to benefit. New onshore wind developments mean the opportunity to lock in local investment for our villages, towns and cities and to guarantee local revenue sharing through proven business models.
Public support across the country for onshore wind is large. Government statistics show that 79% of people now support onshore wind - fifteen times the proportion opposed. In addition to this, two thirds of people are supportive of turbines within five miles of their home. Yet this high public support is not widely known.
What we are asking for is a level playing field, so that communities that do want onshore wind are able to have them. Concern where new turbines are proposed should be addressed. We believe in local democratic decision making. Applications for new wind turbines should face a fair and reasonable local planning process and be treated in the same way as other renewable or low carbon energy.
To realise these benefits for consumers, businesses and communities our planning and financial frameworks need updating in order to ensure that onshore wind is given the fair opportunity it deserves within our energy mix.
We therefore ask that:
The National Planning Policy Framework is amended so that applications for small-scale onshore wind developments in England of no more than five megawatts are treated in the same way as any other application for renewable and low carbon energy.
Onshore wind is allowed to lower power prices through the resumption of competitive electricity market auctions for low carbon energy for the cheapest technologies.
Yours sincerely,
Bim Afolami MP
Peter Aldous MP
Rushanara Ali MP
Heidi Allen MP
Tonia Antoniazzi MP
Ian Austin MP
Kevin Barron MP
Hilary Benn MP
Luciana Berger MP
Mhairi Black MP
Roberta Blackman-Woods MP
Paul Blomfield MP
Ben Bradley MP
Benjamin Bradshaw MP
Tom Brake MP
Deidre Brock MP
Alan Brown MP
Fiona Bruce MP
Karen Buck MP
Dawn Butler MP
Vince Cable MP
Ruth Cadbury MP
Ronnie Campbell MP
Alistair Carmichael MP
Maria Caulfield MP
Alex Chalk MP
Sarah Champion MP
Douglas Chapman MP
Jenny Chapman MP
Bambos Charalambous MP
Simon Clarke MP
Ann Clwyd MP
Rosie Cooper MP
Ronnie Cowan MP
David Crausby MP
Jon Cruddas MP
John Cryer MP
Jim Cunningham MP
Janet Daby MP
Ed Davey MP
Geraint Davies MP
Martyn Day MP
Thangam Debbonaire MP
Anneliese Dodds MP
Jeffrey Donaldson MP
Nadine Dorries MP
David Drew MP
Rosie Duffield MP
Jonathan Edwards MP
Clive Efford MP
Paul Farrelly MP
Tim Farron MP
Frank Field MP
Jim Fitzpatrick MP
Caroline Flint MP
Vicky Ford MP
Yvonne Fovargue MP
James Frith MP
Barry Gardiner MP
Mark Garnier MP
Ruth George MP
Preet Gill MP
Roger Godsiff MP
Zac Goldsmith MP
Richard Graham MP
Damian Green MP
Kate Green MP
Lilian Greenwood MP
John Grogan MP
Louise Haigh MP
Robert Halfon MP
David Hanson MP
Emma Hardy MP
Helen Hayes MP
Oliver Heald MP
Gordon Henderson MP
Mark Hendrick MP
Drew Hendry MP
Wera Hobhouse MP
Kevin Hollinrake MP
John Howell MP
Eddie Hughes MP
Rupa Huq MP
Christine Jardine MP
Darren Jones MP
Susan Jones MP
Graham Jones MP
Peter Kyle MP
Ben Lake MP
David Lammy MP
Jeremy Lefroy MP
Emma Lewell-Buck MP
Ivan Lewis MP
Clive Lewis MP
Stephen Lloyd MP
Tim Loughton MP
Caroline Lucas MP
Ian Lucas MP
Rachel Maclean MP
Anne Main MP
Seema Malhotra MP
Gordon Marsden MP
Sandy Martin MP
Rachael Maskell MP
Chris Matheson MP
Steve McCabe MP
Kerry McCarthy MP
Siobhain McDonagh MP
Stuart McDonald MP
Catherine McKinnell MP
Patrick McLoughlin MP
Anna McMorrin MP
John McNally MP
Carol Monaghan MP
Damien Moore MP
Layla Moran MP
Ian Murray MP
Sarah Newton MP
Jared O'Mara MP
Matthew Offord MP
Mike Penning MP
Toby Perkins MP
Rebecca Pow MP
Mark Prisk MP
Faisal Rashid MP
Danielle Rowley MP
Lloyd Russell-Moyle MP
Liz Saville Roberts MP
Andrew Selous MP
Virendra Sharma MP
Barry Sheerman MP
Tommy Sheppard MP
Gavin Shuker MP
Tulip Siddiq MP
Cat Smith MP
Jeff Smith MP
Laura Smith MP
Eleanor Smith MP
Alex Sobel MP
Caroline Spelman MP
Jamie Stone MP
Jo Swinson MP
Mark Tami MP
Derek Thomas MP
Gareth Thomas MP
Stephen Timms MP
Anne-Marie Trevelyan MP
Anna Turley MP
Derek Twigg MP
Stephen Twigg MP
Keith Vaz MP
Thelma Walker MP
David Warburton MP
Catherine West MP
Matt Western MP
Alan Whitehead MP
Sarah Wollaston MP
William Wragg MP
Mohammad Yasin MP
Daniel Zeichner MP