Britain is a leading light in wind power — don’t blow it now
Ignore the negative noise; Britain’s energy transition is real and necessary. A new industrial revolution is unfolding and, out at sea, one technology is leading the charge. Offshore wind is turning Britain’s coastlines into the engine room of a cleaner future. It’s not just about turbines on the horizon or climate change but jobs, investment, affordable power and energy security for generations to come.
This month marks 25 years of offshore wind in the UK. From two turbines off Blyth we now have 45 wind farms with more in construction, generating nearly a fifth of our total electricity output and supporting tens of thousands of jobs. Britain is a world leader and we need to keep it that way.
Ranking second to China in offshore wind capacity, we are a magnet for global investment and each gigawatt of new offshore wind adds £2 billion to £3 billion of value to the UK economy.
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But to stay in front, Britain needs ambition and focus, especially as international competition intensifies. That means courage and firm arguments to counter the detractors, because if we falter now our clean energy future will slip away.
Some would have Britain drift back to a past of carbon-intensive energy. This would be a profound mistake. It would weaken our energy security and leave households at the mercy of global gas markets and price shocks that have already inflicted heavy costs.
Last year, the UK imported 42 per cent of its energy at a cost of nearly £21 billion. Yes, we need a mix of energy sources, but offshore wind is all ours — domestically produced and now generating enough clean energy to power the equivalent of more than half of UK homes.
Others claim that offshore wind is too expensive and blame, in part, fees for seabed leasing. Those fees were set by bidders in open auctions according to demand and market conditions at the time.
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They created a strong incentive for accelerated development of projects, with cash returned to the Treasury. And recent UCL analysis shows wind generation saved UK consumers about £104 billion between 2010 and 2023.
We need to champion this success, maintain confidence, pursue a consistent policy and regulatory environment, and allow industry and governments to collaborate so that this vital sector continues to grow. Together, we can make sure the UK is not blown off course.
Gus Jaspert is managing director of The Crown Estate’s Marine business