Power & renewable energy

A woman proudly standing in front of solar panels on the roof of her home

Renewable Energy in the Countryside.

We think that the gold standard for onshore renewable energy done well means community energy – renewable energy projects proposed, designed, and owned by local people. An increase in the amount of energy produced and used locally would help address the capacity limitations experienced by the National Grid and ultimately could reduce significantly the need to transmit large quantities of energy over great distances via pylon routes.

We know that the climate emergency threatens to damage many of our most loved landscapes and ecosystems. Places that are precious to us all, including the Broads, the north Norfolk coast and the wildlife-packed Brecks, could all be changed irreparably as our climate shifts.

We need to act fast to cut our greenhouse gas emissions, and to do that we need more low-carbon renewable energy. We want to see these new renewable energy projects done well, in a way that minimises impacts on landscapes. It is also important that schemes designed to harvest wind and solar energy are only permitted if they are supported by the rural communities most directly affected.

Read our Position statement – Onshore wind turbines, solar farms and pylons

Offshore energy and associated onshore works

CPRE Norfolk is very well aware of the importance of a renewable energy strategy for the UK and the important role Norfolk plays in this. It is inevitable that some disruption will occur as new sites come on stream, and land-based works for offshore wind farm sites are required to feed the power generated to the grid.

However, choices in regard to the transmission route and the technology employed should be those which minimise damage to the countryside and landscape.

Read our full position statement

Solar farms

CPRE Norfolk supports harvesting solar energy from rooftops and other artificial surfaces. We know from research carried out by UCL Energy Institute for CPRE that installing solar panels on existing rooftops and other land such as car parks could provide at least 40-50GW of solar energy in England by 2035. With further investment, there is potential to generate 117GW of low carbon electricity from roofs and other developed spaces by 2050. This figure is well in excess of the government’s 2035 national target of 70GW.

CPRE Norfolk opposes the development of solar farms in the countryside and we work with local people and campaign groups to argue that renewable targets should not override concerns about the damage solar farms can do to the landscape.

Join our Alliance against Norfolk solar mega farms

Read our Solar Farm position statement

Wind turbines

CPRE Norfolk works with local people and campaign groups to argue that renewable targets should not override concerns about the damage onshore wind turbines can do to the beauty, character and tranquillity of Norfolk’s countryside.

Whilst we generally support offshore wind farms, careful thought and consultation needs to be undertaken regarding any onshore infrastructure associated with such developments.

Read our Wind Turbine position statement

Pylons

The rapid increase of wind farms, particularly offshore, requires the transfer of energy into the National Grid. This is achieved through the use of pylons or underground power lines and the development of sub-stations.

CPRE Norfolk is campaigning for offshore grid connections or the undergrounding of all cabling in order to protect the countryside from the damaging visual impacts that result from the use of pylons and for the sensitive siting of sub-stations in Norfolk.

Read our Pylons position statement

Norwich to Tilbury

Norwich to Tilbury (formerly known as East Anglia GREEN) is a proposed new electricity transmission route planned by the National Grid, to run from Norwich Main to Tilbury in Essex. The suggestion is for it to consist of new overhead power lines running between pylons, with underground cabling where it crosses the Dedham Vale AONB.

CPRE Norfolk believes that underground cabling or offshore grid connections should be used for any new National Grid transmission lines. This would help to ensure less harmful long-term impacts for residents, the environment, settings of heritage assets, tranquillity, and the countryside.

Read our statement on Norwich to Tilbury