Give free energy to properties near wind and solar farms, say MPs

Communities living near new onshore wind turbines and solar farms should be given 100% discounts on their energy bills, Tory MPs have said. The 1922 backbench committee on business, energy and industrial strategy has recommended a tiered system to provide an incentive and compensate people for renewable energy facilities. It said all new onshore wind farms and solar farms should be subject to a local referendum. Those living within a mile of a proposed scheme should be given free energy, it argued. Those within three miles should get a 50% discount and those within four miles 25% over the lifetime of the project. According to a new survey by Octopus Energy, households in Yorkshire, the Midlands and the North East are most willing to live near a wind farm in return for cheaper power. Octopus research showed about 11,000 acres of land could be used for wind turbine developments, housing about 2,300 wind turbines and generating enough energy for nearly 2m homes. It received more than 16,500 submissions from communities open to a local wind farm development alongside cheaper energy. The Times (£) The Guardian