In 2016, Prime Minister David Cameron cut support for onshore wind farms after pressure from Conservative MPs who worried about the impact of wind turbines damage on rural communities.
In her brief tenure as Prime Minister in September this year, Liz Truss promised to bring onshore wind, as well as fracking, back to the UK. But Rishi Sunak swiftly reversed these decisions as soon as he came into office.
Facing a rebellion from Tory backbenchers, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has now confirmed a consultation looking at how new onshore wind facilities could begin construction again as long as there is sufficient support from the local community. Planning matters are devolved, so a change in the rules would apply only in England.
With energy costs rising to all-time highs this winter, research from last week suggests that without the 2016 ban, onshore wind could have generated enough energy to power 1.5 million homes through the...