Only two new onshore wind turbines built in England last year

JUST two onshore wind turbines were installed in England last year, as the industry awaits pledged planning reforms for new projects.

Overall, just ten new onshore wind projects were installed in 2022 across the UK, according to new research published by trade body Renewable UK.

This boosted onshore wind generation by 318MW, powering a further 209,000 homes. By contrast, more than ten times as much offshore wind capacity was installed in 2022.

Six of the new projects were built in Scotland, one in Wales and two in Northern Ireland.

Dan McGrail, chief exec of Renewable UK, said: "Onshore wind is one of our cheapest sources of new power and the government's own polling shows that four-fifths of the public support it. But outdated planning rules and lack of resources... mean progress and investment are being held back."