This includes 157 solar developments across England, Scotland and Wales, securing 4.9GW of new capacity, as well as 28 onshore wind projects, delivering 1.3GW.
Combined with 4 tidal projects and a record procurement of offshore wind projects last month, the government said Britain will generate 14.7GW of new clean power – enough to supply the equivalent of 16 million homes.
It explained how new onshore wind has been agreed at a price of £72.24/MWh and new solar at £65.23/MWh, which are both under half the £147/MWh cost of building and operating new gas power stations.
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said the results put the UK on track for its 2030 clean power target, which will reduce household bills while protecting families and businesses from fossil fuel price shocks that have “triggered half of all recessions since the 1970s”.
“By backing solar and onshore wind at scale, we’re driving bills down for good and protecting families, businesses, and our country from the fossil fuel rollercoaster controlled by petrostates and dictators,” energy secretary Ed Miliband declared.
“This is how we take back control of our energy and deliver a new era of energy abundance and independence.”
Once built and generating power, the new projects are expected to support up to 10,000 jobs and secure an additional £5bn in private sector investment.
Great British Energy and the government have today also published a Local Power Plan, backed by funding of up to £1bn, to help support locally-owned clean energy generation projects such as solar on community buildings like libraries, leisure centres and welfare clubs.
The plan delivers the biggest public investment in community energy in the country’s history, which the government said could be a “transformative tool to build the wealth of local areas – giving people a stake in the places they live and generating pride, respect and local prosperity that can’t be dismantled”.
Community owned energy is the norm in other countries. In Germany, for example, around two-fifths of installed renewable energy generation capacity is citizen-owned.
Miliband added: “With the biggest ever investment in community energy in Britain’s history, this government is saying to every local community: we want you to be able to own and control clean energy so the profits flow into your community not simply out to the big energy companies.
“By giving local people the chance to take control of their energy, this government is making a fundamental choice to transfer wealth and power back to communities across Britain.”
Image credit: Shutterstock
Chris Seekings is the Deputy Editor of ISEP’s Transform magazine, which is published biomonthly for ISEP members. Chris’s role involves writing sustainability-related news, features and interviews, as well as helping to plan and manage the magazine’s other day-to-day activities.
