Planning reforms to enable onshore wind is one of the key suggestions from RenewableUK. Image: Getty.
Key steps to enable the UK to end its dependence on gas for electricity within five years are being proposed to the government by RenewableUK.
First among these steps is increasing the amount of new renewable capacity which will be secured in this year’s Contracts for Difference auction, by removing the limit on the amount of onshore wind capacity that can go ahead in the auction and raising the budget for offshore wind.
RenewableUK said there are now more shovel-ready projects than when the government set out its initial ambitions, and that by investing an extra £68 million in the budget for offshore wind, consumers’ exposure to gas can be cut by £1.5 billion.