How much Bradford energy is produced by onshore wind power? What we know

Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a reduction in plans for more onshore wind farms with a renewed focus on building new nuclear power, offshore wind and hydrogen.

Mr Johnson said onshore wind farms are controversial because of their visual impact, saying they "will have a very high bar to clear".

“Wholesale changes” to planning regulations for onshore wind will not be introduced, the Government said, with plans to instead consult with communities who wish to host the infrastructure in return for lower energy bills.

But how would Bradford fare if it hosted more onshore wind farms in a swap for cheaper energy bills?

Photo via PA shows Teesside Wind Farm near the mouth of the River Tees off the North Yorkshire coast.

How much of Bradford's energy is produced by onshore wind farms?

The total amount of energy generated by onshore wind farms in Bradford each year has been calculated using data from 2014 to 2020.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy figures show Bradford produced 6,881 megawatt-hours (the equivalent of seven gigawatt-hours) of electricity through its 53 onshore wind turbines in 2020.

This was up from 5,470 MWh the year prior and the highest amount generated since 2014, when records began.

Among six recorded renewable energy sources, onshore wind ranked third in the area while solar power produced the most renewable energy.

New energy strategy

Instead of drawing energy from onshore wind farms, the Government has announced a 50 gigawatts target for offshore wind power by 2030.

That's an increase from previous commitments of 40 gigawatts.

The removal of targets for land-based wind turbines has been criticised by Labour, which had called for a relaxing of the planning regulations around onshore developments.

But the Government’s new energy strategy stops short of increasing onshore wind capacity.

Separate national figures, which cover the latest calendar year, show the UK had 14.5 GW of onshore wind power capacity at the end of 2021, but generated less energy than in 2020 – from 34.7 GWh down to 29 GWh.

It also had 11.3 gigawatts of offshore wind power capacity at the end of 2021, up from 10.4 the year before and more than six times as much as a decade ago.

Offshore wind must more than quadruple by the end of the decade to reach the Government's target.

Shadow climate change and net zero secretary Ed Miliband told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that Britain's "energy policy is being held to ransom by Tory backbenchers".

Mr Miliband said: "The Government has rejected the cheapest, lowest cost, most secure forms of power we have, including onshore wind."

Overall, the UK generated 121,000 GWh of renewable energy in 2021.

RenewableUK’s chief executive Dan McGrail and Ana Musat, head of policy at Aldersgate Group, a non-profit alliance of business leaders lobbying for a sustainable economy, urged the Government to reconsider changing onshore wind farm planning rules.

Mr McGrail said: "We need to make use of every tool in the box to boost our energy independence, so it's right that Government is looking again at planning rules so that onshore wind can proceed in parts of England where there is support, as it's the cheapest source of new power and the quickest to build."

Ms Musat added: "Beyond this strategy, a greater focus on deploying onshore wind as the lowest cost renewable technology and a greater emphasis on improving the energy efficiency of buildings should be key priorities for government."