The majority of Britain’s onshore renewable energy projects are failing to get beyond the planning stage, according to analysis that highlights the challenges the country still faces in hitting its clean energy targets. Sixty-three per cent of the roughly 4,000 applications submitted for wind, solar and battery projects between 2018 and 2023 have been refused, abandoned, withdrawn, or had their planning permission expire, according to Cornwall Insight, an energy consultancy.
Developers complain that the planning system does not have enough resources to deal with the rising number of applications, while lengthy waits to get connections to electricity grids can stall projects’ progress through the approval process. Nathan Bennett, at trade group RenewableUK, added: “There is a UK-wide resourcing challenge, a lack of people able to process consents in a timely manner.