Onshore wind strategy will need good unionised jobs to succeed

A plan to almost double onshore wind in England by 2030 has been unveiled by the government, but to succeed it will need to address significant workforce and skills challenges, says Prospect.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero’s Onshore Wind Strategy includes measures to boost onshore wind, such as planning reforms, supporting supply chains and re-using old turbines.

Sue Ferns, Senior Deputy General Secretary of Prospect, said:

“Onshore wind has an important role to play in a secure and decarbonised energy mix, so it is welcome that the government is taking steps to support its rollout.

“However, the lost years resulting from the last government’s inexplicable ban have resulted in significant workforce and skills related challenges that urgently need to be addressed, which hopefully they will be in the forthcoming Clean Energy Workforce Plan.

“It is also important that renewables such as onshore wind generate good, unionised jobs – if the government wants the clean energy transition to be fair and to deliver the full economic potential, it must insist on this as a condition for the support it provides.”