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Renewed interest in renewables from new Government

October, 2024

Labour came to power with a manifesto that said they will work with the private sector. Andrew Metcalf, Managing Director at Kent PR and public affairs agency Maxim, looks at the plans to double onshore wind, triple solar power, and quadruple offshore wind by 2030. He considers what it might mean in terms of communications and community engagement.

These are ambitious targets, but Labour has hit the ground running with contracts already agreed for 131 green energy generation projects in the latest Contract for Difference (CfD) auction – a mechanism to give investors a guaranteed return on their investment while smoothing out price volatility for consumers. Due to come online in either 2026/27 or 2027/28, the projects will power the equivalent of 11 million homes.

The projects include nine offshore wind farms, 93 solar farms and 22 onshore wind farms alongside other technologies. The majority of the onshore wind farms are in windier Scotland, with some in Wales and just one in England. But with the Government lifting the ban on new English onshore wind, more turbines are likely to be proposed south of the border in future.


By contrast, sunnier England dominates the allocation of solar projects with a just a handful of arrays receiving CfD contracts in Wales and Scotland.

The Government upped the budget for the last auction round and, with the stretching renewables targets it has set itself, it seems fair to assume future auctions will see even greater numbers of CfDs awarded than this year’s record number.

The extra investment this will bring – and the associated benefits for employment and the supply chain – will be welcomed by the business community. However, bringing the projects to fruition won’t be all plain sailing.

The latest generation of offshore wind farms – far out to sea – are in themselves relatively uncontentious. The complications arrive when the power reaches shore, where it needs to pass through a substantial onshore substation and be connected to the National Grid. As the UK transitions to new forms of electricity generation, there are also related controversies with regards to reconfiguring and strengthening the electricity distribution network that ensures the power can flow around the country.

With regards onshore wind, recent (Spring 2024) polling by the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero (DESNZ), shows 78% in favour, 5% opposed and 17% either neutral or don’t know. However, from Maxim’s past experience of working on onshore wind farm projects, the 5% can be extremely vociferous in their opposition and will do all they can to stop projects receiving planning permission. Fears will be raised about the adverse impacts of wind turbines on residents and wildlife, while their efficacy and carbon benefits will be discredited.


The DESNZ polling shows even higher support for solar at 88% with just 2% opposed. However, when asked if they would be happy to have a solar farm built in their area, 17% of people in rural communities said they would not be. Reasons for opposition included concern about the impact on local plant and animal life as well as views, a lack of benefit to the local community and economy, the impact on house prices, the cost of energy production and the loss of fertile agricultural land.

As the number of solar and other renewable projects increases, it seems likely that opposition to them will also increase, especially in areas that are already home to one or more existing renewable installations.


To maximise their chances of success, developers will need to get on the front foot and actively engage with the local community. They will need to spell out the benefits that renewables bring; produce well-reasoned arguments for why their projects should go ahead; and robustly challenge misleading claims from the opposition about cost, efficiency, limited carbon reduction and environmental harm.

Importantly, they also need to harness the support of the majority of the population that are in favour of renewable electricity generation. It will require time, effort and resource, but it can be done. When the planning inspector gave the green light to the 26-turbine Little Cheyne Court wind farm on Romney Marsh he pointed out in his report that more people had written in support of the project than in opposition. It was a result built on the back of extensive and sustained community engagement.

If you want to know more about Maxim’s work in the renewable energy space contact us on 01892 513033 or email hello@maxim-pr.co.uk.

Andrew Metcalf - Director

Andrew Metcalf

Maxim / Managing Director

posted in: advice, reputation management,

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