Labour unveils plan for dozens of new windfarms in bid to combat climate change
2 min read
Labour has pledged to build dozens of windfarms with the power to provide electricity for tens of millions of UK homes.
The party said its 37 new offshore farms would be 51% publicly-owned, with profits going towards tackling climate change and investing in coastal communities.
The move, under a 'People's Power Plan', it says would deliver 52GW of offshore wind by 2030, equivalent to 38 coal power stations, and would provide enough electricity for 57 million households.
Its Regional Energy Agencies would be responsible for running the majority public stake.
Under its 'People's Power Fund', Labour said 20% of financial gains - which it estimates at around £600m and £1,020m each year – would go into developing harbour fronts, leisure centres, libraries and parks.
The remaining 80% would be reinvested into new renewables generation, as part of its bid to develop clean power at the “scale and pace needed to deal with the climate emergency”.
The party said deployment of the eco-friendly energy had been "too slow" despite more offshore wind farms being installed in the UK than any other country and following falling wind prices.
Shadow Business Secretary, Rebecca Long Bailey, said: “Britain has long benefited from its windy shores, with the wind playing an essential role in our history as a seafaring nation. Our wind will soon become our largest energy source.
“While UK’s offshore wind industry is still young, the UK has the opportunity to avoid replicating Britain’s experience with North Sea Oil and instead to learn from countries such as Norway and Sweden by owning what is already ours."
The party said its plans would lead to a total of £83bn of government and private sector funding being invested along the UK coastline between 2020 and 2030.
It insisted that its wider 'People's Power Plan' would create 67,000 new jobs, particularly in the north and east of England and in Scotland.
Ms Long-Bailey added: "By taking a stake in offshore wind, we can collectively benefit from the profits, investing them back into our held back coastal communities."
"That wind will turn into harbour fronts and libraries. Instead of jackets for wind farms located in Scotland being made in Indonesia, we’ll bring those jobs back to Fife.
“As part of our Green Industrial Revolution – we can tackle the climate emergency and create a better economy for us all.”
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