Offshore Wind Farms are a great opportunity for Northern Devon but what happens on land? - Tim Jones

This fascinating opportunity which could be a game changer for Northern Devon, being the development of an offshore wind industry in the Celtic Sea/ Bristol Channel, is something we are all aware of, but we also need to understand the implications of this, in respect of what happens to the wind power when it is collected and how it gets into the national grid network.

The latest estimates are that if the UK is to reach its goal of decarbonising the power sector by 2035, then we will need to treble the amount of power plants connected to our national grid. In addition to the growth of offshore wind, it is anticipated that new turbines, up to possibly six times those anticipated in the first phase of the Celtic sea, will need to be accommodated. In parallel with this, we also need to allow for the growth of solar power generation where, again, the current capacity needs to be expanded by at least five times.

All of this is great but nothing in this world is simple.

If this is to be achieved, then radical reforms will need to be made to the timescales for implementing these projects and achieving the new power grid networks which will be required to make the connection between the energy and the users. This scale of growth would be challenging under any circumstances.

The current target just from offshore wind farms is to generate 50GW by 2030, which would be an increase from only 14GW today. The result of this would be that wind power would be generating enough energy to serve at least 2/3rds of our homes. The UK already has a legally binding target of achieving net zero emissions by 2050. This is forecast to result in power demand at least doubling, as petrol cars are replaced by electric vehicles and gas boilers are replaced by electric powered heat pumps.

To install the new network, we would need to construct many 100s of miles of new high-voltage power lines at a cost of tens of billions of pounds. National Grid estimate that the UK will need to build 5 x more transmission lines than it has built in the last 30 years.

The current system for achieving authorisation is currently too slow and long overdue for a complete reform. It currently takes between 12-14 years from identifying the need for a new power transmission cable to it coming into service. It is officially admitted nationally, that there is no current strategic plan and that national government policy statements are 'badly out of date' with no guidance as to when cables should be onshore or offshore, underground or overground or how local impacts should be managed.

Against this background, it is understandable as to why many communities are concerned about the unintended consequences of these programmes.

The government have set up a task force, which is charged with halving the time it takes to complete schemes – 5-6 years from start to finish. In this case, failure is not an option. The political consequences of Britian managing to generate 50GW of offshore wind, only to waste this because we cannot get the power to homes or businesses, would be unthinkable. It could also lead to serious consequences, such as, increasing demands for energy use reduction. Supressing demand is already in place in some high energy demand areas. If, however, we have insufficient cabling capacity then we, the users, will be paying the bill to compensate users (including farmers) to switch off their supplies. It is already estimated that compensation payments for this could reach as much as £4 billion per year by 2030.

It is totally unfair on our hard-working Local Planning Authorities to impose upon them yet more paperwork. It is essential that new planning guidance should be introduced. This needs to include both a framework for a strategic plan and a new set of design ideas to help choose between the various transmission groups (overhead or overground etc.). This might help to start streamlining the planning process.

It is also essential that individuals and communities who are affected by this new infrastructure should become part of the solution. Compensation only achieves a limited result. There is currently some thinking about the proposed payment package being linked to outcomes and to include 'generous' benefits. If we are to impose these new facilities on our communities, many of whom are in sensitive rural areas, then these financial payments should help communities to spend on further investment, both in energy efficiency and energy generation reduction. The long-term cost savings could be very considerable to already hard stretched householders. Community engagement might also be easier if community funds are a realistic outcome. This might make a discussion about whether to have overhead power cables or underground cables much easier. The cost of underground cables is around £9 million more per kilometre than the overground solution.

In parallel with this, it would be highly desirable to ensure that, wherever possible, as much of this work can be delivered through a network of local companies. We already know that there is a shortage of skilled workers. Training up a workforce that is ready for these challenges and encouraging them to participate in delivering the projects could be huge win, win for us.

As we look ahead to try and plan for these exciting challenges, there is no doubt that the government have got to step up to make sure that the system is reformed for the benefit of local communities. Currently, it is too easy for the monopoly of network transmission companies just to rely upon increasing bills. The industry regulator Ofgem has too often proved toothless in preventing eyewatering increases in the cost of energy.

It may still be the case, that in the short term, there will need to be incentives provided to consumers and businesses to reduce need and thereby limit the extent of new cabling required. There may be other sensible interventions, such as, installing batteries at home, to increase the flexibility of individuals energy demands.

Whatever solutions however are forthcoming, it is essential that Northern Devon gets ahead of this debate. This is a critical part of our future. Planning ahead for this is vital to ensure we secure its full benefits.