The main aim of the taskforce will be to bring together key players from government, industry, regulatory bodies, the financial sector and other relevant organisations to drive forward the increases in onshore wind deployment needed to meet the UK’s 2030 targets.

The taskforce will be chaired jointly by the UK Government’s secretary of state for energy security and net zero, Ed Miliband MP and Matthieu Hue, the CEO of EDF Renewables.

Joint deputy chairs are Michael Shanks MP, minister for energy security and net zero and Sarah Redwood, director of renewable electricity directorate at DESNZ.

The objectives of the taskforce are to:

• Unlock the barriers to deployment that onshore wind developers face: the Taskforce will identify where there are financial, regulatory or policy challenges that are preventing the construction and operation of onshore wind projects in an efficient and cost-effective manner.
• Ensure sustainability: the Taskforce will consider the potential impacts that onshore wind projects can have on the local environment and broader electricity system.
• Capture the benefits: as the sector grows, the Taskforce will identify opportunities to facilitate continued cost reductions and ensure investment in UK supply chains, jobs, skills and innovation.
• Commit to action: the Taskforce will, by bringing together the relevant bodies from across the system, establish consensus and agree the actions needed to remove the barriers, ensure sustainability, and capture the benefits.

The Taskforce will meet regularly over the course of 2024. At the end of this period, the Taskforce will issue a formal policy statement which will clearly set out a roadmap to 2030 and beyond, the challenges and opportunities of delivering accelerated onshore wind to meet our ambitions, and commitments to the actions needed to achieve this. The Taskforce will then transition to an overarching body to keep track of progress of agreed actions.

The chairs are supported by a core membership made up of expert representatives from the onshore wind industry, investment companies and others:

• Matthieu Hue, CEO, EDF Renewables
• Heather Donald, director of onshore renewables development and construction, SSE Renewables
• Gillian Noble, renewables development director, Scottish Power Renewables (SPR)
• Lucy Whitford, managing director, RES
• Eleri Davies, head of onshore wind for England and Wales, RWE
• Lisa Christie, (interim) UK country manager, Vattenfall
• Joanna Ellis, chief commercial officer, Nadara
• Christine McGregor, managing director, BayWa r.e
• Dan McGrail, CEO, Renewable UK
• Claire Mack, CEO, Scottish Renewables
• Jason Welch, managing director UK and Ireland, Nordex
• Laura Fleming, CEO UK and Ireland, Hitachi Energy
• Fintan Slye, director, Electricity Systems Operator (ESO)
• Steve Thomas, deputy general secretary, Prospect

Claire Mack, chief executive of Scottish Renewables, said: “Scottish Renewables warmly welcomes this collaborative effort between our industry and the UK Government to shape the future of onshore wind and support its commitment to doubling onshore wind capacity by 2030.

“In Scotland, the Onshore Wind Sector Deal has been a game changer for the industry in Scotland setting out a series of key measures to support the Scottish Government in reaching its net zero targets by delivering onshore wind farms quickly, sustainably and to the benefit of local communities.

“What we have learned from delivering the sector deal can play a crucial role for the Taskforce by helping to identify current barriers to deployment across the UK and offering solutions on how to improve the planning system and develop opportunities for the supply chain.

“Strong collaboration between our industry and government is vital if we are to deliver on our clean energy ambitions and through the sector deal in Scotland we are already feeling the benefits of this.

“We will work closely with all stakeholders to ensure the Taskforce is effectively implemented and we look forward to a new era of the UK and Scottish governments working together to deliver our shared onshore wind ambitions.”