In a speech to both houses of Parliament, the U.K.'s Queen Elizabeth II devoted substantial parts of her annual address to energy security – particularly, permissions related to onshore wind.
The energy bill grants permissions to local authorities for all onshore wind farms exceeding 50 MW, maximizes the economic recovery of oil and gas from U.K. waters, and ensures that energy is affordable and reliable for U.K. businesses and residents.
According to the text of the speech, the changes will mean that in the future, the primary decision-maker for onshore wind consents in England and Wales will be the local planning authority. U.K. officials say the changes would not impact planning in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
According to U.K. officials, the subsidies related to onshore wind are ending. However, the speech stopped short of providing specifics. The Department of Energy and Climate Change is expected to provide specifics later this summer.
