Onshore wind is the lowest cost route to decarbonising our electricity system, and today UK onshore wind companies are confident and planning for future growth. The industry is scaling up to deliver new merchant based projects, while an expected 2021 Contract for Difference (CfD) auction will give utilities and financiers the confidence they need to invest in new onshore wind. After five years in the doldrums, onshore wind is back with fresh momentum and drive.
Across the globe, onshore wind is seeing rapid growth with modern, larger, lower-cost turbines now the preferred route to deliver new projects. Can this model work in the UK or are there unrealistic requirements from government and planning authorities about the scale and community benefit that will scupper industry plans?
As a nation, we’re looking for projects that can deliver jobs now and contribute to a green recovery. Onshore wind is well placed to build projects quickly that deliver local jobs across the country. But will lukewarm government support stop our country from grabbing this golden opportunity?
Our panel will explore the reasons behind onshore wind’s resurgence; look at how different players are funding new projects, what effect the CfD auction will have, and what role onshore wind can play in our green economic recovery.
Chair: Lesley McNeil, Head of Wind Energy Policy and Development, Energy Industries Division, Directorate for Energy and Climate Change, The Scottish Government
Speakers:
● Lindsay McQuade, Chief Executive, ScottishPower Renewables
● Rachel Anderson, Head of External Affairs, RES
●Clare Foster, Head of Clean Energy, Partner, Banking and Finance, Shepherd and Wedderburn LLP
● Laura Fleming, Head of Wind Farm Solutions North Europe and the Middle East, Siemens Gamesa
Panel discussion and audience Q&A