Regional and local authorities will from today be able to access new guidance on how to calculate renewable energy potential across their area in an attempt to ease the planning constraints that afflict many renewable energy projects.
The guidelines from the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) will provide regional authorities with advice on how to calculate measures such as wind speeds and available roof space that can inform renewable energy potential.
It also offers guidance on how to assess the suitability of a region for large and small-scale renewable energy projects, such as wind farms, biomass plants and solar panel rollouts.
Energy minister Lord Hunt said the new guidance would help the development of new regional renewable energy strategies, work on which is scheduled to begin next month. "Each region in England already has its own renewable energy target, " he said. "These new guidelines will help to ensure that in reviewing these targets, each is setting a target based on similar methods and assumptions and that the targets are in line with the UK's overall renewable ambition."
A DECC spokeswoman said the new guidance would help people lodging planning applications for renewable energy projects ensure they are located in an appropriate area.
They could also strengthen appeals against planning application rejections, by providing clear government-backed guidance on what constitutes acceptable projects.
Planning constraints remain arguably the largest barrier for new renewable energy projects with trade group Renewable-UK reporting late last year that three out of every four wind farm planning applications are currently rejected.
Some renewable energy campaigners have called for the high rejection rate to be addressed by mandating local authorities to deliver a proportion of renewable energy in their area. However, the DECC spokeswoman said there were no plans to make the new guidance mandatory. "The guidelines will remain entirely voluntary, but they are very clear in detailing what is acceptable for an area and what is not," she said.
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