Onshore wind is experiencing a new wave of interest following the UK Government’s onshore wind strategy announcement.

After years of stagnation due to the 2015 “de facto ban”, the new onshore wind strategy promises greater investment, planning reform, and significant job creation throughout the industry. This has generated much enthusiasm across the sector, as well as reservations and concerns.

What is onshore wind?

Onshore wind is an essential part of the UK’s renewable energy mix. It is generated from wind farms located across the UK. These wind farms consist of a collection of large wind turbines that are spun by the power of wind in order to generate energy. Wind farms are usually placed in locations with consistently strong winds, such as on top of hills or in open plains.

There are over 2,600 operational wind projects located in the UK with a current combined capacity of 15GW. Around 62% of wind farms are based in Scotland, 20% in England, 9% in Northern Ireland, and 8% in Wales. In 2024, onshore wind made up 12.3% of the UK’s energy generation source, just below offshore wind, which made up 17.2% of the energy mix.

What was the 2015 de facto ban?

Onshore wind is a vital part of the renewable energy mix and crucial to the UK reaching their 2030 Clean Energy goals. However, it can be a controversial energy source, with some groups believing that onshore wind farms are an eyesore and damaging to the aesthetic of the countryside. These objections to onshore wind farms were partly behind the planning policy changes in 2015, which made it extremely difficult for new onshore wind projects to be approved and built.

The National Planning Policy Framework included two footnotes that required that new onshore wind farms had to:

• Be based in already designated areas for onshore wind farms. They could be located on another site, but only if a strict Local Development Order, Neighbourhood Development Order, or Community Right to Build Order was in place.
• Receive full community support for the project, which in practice meant that if there was any opposition to the wind farm being built, then the proposal was denied.

This led to what was considered a “de facto ban” on new onshore wind projects, which hindered the further development of onshore wind energy in the UK. However, in July 2024, not long after the Labour Party formed a new government, they announced that the two footnotes restricting onshore wind farms would be removed, paving the way for new applications.

What is the new onshore wind strategy?

In July 2025, the UK Government announced their new onshore wind strategy. This strategy aims to boost the onshore wind industry following the de facto ban. Specifically, the goals of the onshore wind strategy are to:

• Increase electricity capacity from onshore wind farms to 27-29GW by 2030
• Double the onshore wind workforce, creating 45,000 new skilled jobs by 2030
• Provide communities of onshore wind farms with £5,000 per megawatt per year to fund community initiatives or local energy bill discount schemes

In order to achieve these aims, the UK Government has identified 42 actions to increase the UK’s onshore wind energy capacity. These actions include:

• Reducing planning permission turnaround to streamline environmental and planning processes
• Working with Ofgem, the governmental regulator for electricity and gas, and NESO, the independent public body managing the UK’s electricity and gas networks, to ensure that planned reforms effectively reduce grid connection time
• Prioritising local community engagement with projects to reduce tensions
• Co-ordinating with civil aviation and defence to create solutions for air traffic concerns and issues

These actions specifically target some of the key obstacles firms have previously experienced when establishing onshore wind farms. If the UK Government and governmental agencies follow through with these actions, it may be easier for the onshore wind industry to scale up fast and meet the 2030 clean energy goals. In the words of Energy Minister Michael Shanks, “After years of decline, we’re giving [the onshore wind] industry the tools to get building again, backing industrial renewal and secure, clean, homegrown energy.”.

However, as James Robottom, Head of Onshore Wind at Renewable Energy has noted, the real benefit of this strategy is that it will “…increase confidence among investors and developers, so that we can attract billions in private investment and create thousands of highly-skilled jobs and new supply chains.”.

Private investments have helped to support the renewable energy sector, with £40 billion invested in clean energy projects since July 2024. Future investments will fund the construction of onshore wind farms, increase electricity capacity from this energy source, and create more jobs for renewable energy professionals in the sector.

Will the onshore wind strategy help the UK reach the 2030 Clean Power targets?

The onshore wind strategy sets out clear actions to increase the energy source’s capacity to contribute to the 2030 Clean Power targets and, overall, to the 2050 Net Zero goals. Rapid scaling in the industry is possible as onshore wind is one of the cheapest and most efficient forms of renewable energy to produce, with farms able to be constructed at scale within months. Therefore, with fewer barriers in place, the industry should see a large expansion over the next few years.

However, major challenges remain for connecting renewable energy sites to the National Grid. Whilst within the onshore wind strategy, the Government promises to work with Ofgem and NESO to speed up connection reforms aimed at reducing delays, it is a major factor in preventing the UK from upscaling their renewable energy capacity. Currently, 700GW of renewable energy capacity from newly established sites is still waiting to be connected to the National Grid.

Connection delays often mean that projects are dropped or postponed in the middle of the process, making it an inefficient prospect and unattractive investment for developers. This reputation for projects consistently being delayed can also make it harder to attract and retain key talent in the sector and can lead to individuals looking for work in more stable industries.

Overall, the onshore wind strategy promises great things for the industry by nearly doubling the workforce and electricity capacity, and provides solid actions that will help the UK succeed in these aims. However, time will tell if these plans will come to fruition.

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