EDITOR’S OPINION: Upping the power of onshore wind

1 September 2026

It’s fair to say that onshore wind turbines are not universally popular. In a country like the UK, where land is relatively limited, their installation has often faced opposition, with campaign groups decrying a visual blot on the rural landscape and pointing to potential disruption to local ecosystems. 

There is no denying, though, that they are playing an increasingly prominent role in delivering clean energy and reducing the country’s reliance on fossil fuels. Recent analysis by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit estimates that wholesale electricity prices would have been 31% higher last year without wind power, if more expensive gas generation had been used instead. Meanwhile, RenewableUK has claimed that meeting government targets for the expansion of onshore wind capacity by 2030 could save £3bn a year on electricity bills (see news story on page 8).

Advocates can also argue that the onshore wind industry is fast becoming a significant source of employment. It is estimated that around 15,000 people currently work in the industry in the UK, which is forecast to increase by a further 2,500 by 2030.

Such numbers may not be enough to change the minds of the vocal ‘Not In My Back Yard’ brigade, but unlike some large infrastructure projects, onshore wind farms can provide tangible benefits to local communities. Many projects include community ownership schemes or revenue-sharing models that channel funds directly back into local projects such as schools, healthcare and infrastructure improvements.     

Government ambitions require operational capacity in England and Wales to more than double over the next four years (from 4.2GW to 8.6GW), while Scotland remains the UK’s largest onshore wind market, currently delivering 10.7GW and an ambition to reach 20GW by 2030. With inevitable planning disputes and project delays, it may be challenging to reach such targets by relying on new developments in previously ignored areas, but RenewableUK estimates that repowering and extending the operational life of existing projects could make a significant contribution.

Repowering effectively means replacing older turbines on existing wind farm sites with newer, more efficient models. Polls suggest that such a move generates far less opposition than investment in new sites, with 70% of people saying that they would support the generation of clean energy by the replacement of smaller turbines with larger models. 

While it might be argued that wind turbines are far more aesthetically appealing than electricity pylons and mobile base stations, it makes sense to maximise the potential of  developments where battles have already been won and planners have already established close relationships with local communities. Analysis suggests that extending the life of current projects could add a third more capacity to existing sites – and that’s surely a relatively low cost opportunity that the country can’t afford to ignore. 

Chris Jones is managing editor of EIBI