if we’re to stand any chance of making that net-zero deadline, we need to be able to do all of this faster. Quite simply, green energy projects are taking far too long to clear the planning process. It takes two years to build an offshore wind farm, but ten years to get it from the drawing board and through planning; and half that for onshore.
The last big electricity transmission line built in Scotland, Beauly-Denny, took 15 years to get through permitting and construction. By those standards, we would reach 2045 before we know it, with nothing changed. The recent Onshore Wind Sector Deal signed between the Scottish Government and the industry sets out commitments to reduce planning determination timescales, which is very welcome.
What we now need from both the Scottish and UK governments is a commitment to speed up the planning process to one year for all new renewables as well as the grid infrastructure that connects them to the network. It’s no good building the low-carbon generation if you can’t move the power to where it’s needed.
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Dr Sam Gardner is ScottishPower’s head of climate change and sustainability
So add salt accordingly. However, it does look like the Tories are building themselves up to be the party of NIMBYs and climate change deniers.
