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Reflections from the Onshore Wind Conference 2025: Wales at the Heart of Clean Energy Growth

Derek Hastings, Director of Onshore Projects at Bute Energy shares his insights from this year’s Onshore Wind Conference – hosted by RenewableUK.

A Super Cycle of Investment

Scottish Renewables and RenewableUK’s Onshore Wind Conference in Scotland this week included several presentations that have led me to reflect on our work here at Bute Energy.  One of which was a keynote address from Chris Stark CBE, Head of Mission Control for Clean Energy 2030, on day one of the conference. His enthusiasm is always absolutely captivating; he has boundless energy, which I think is genuinely inspirational. Here’s what I picked up from his talk:

Chris spoke about what he called a “super cycle of investment.”

Coming from the world of Energy and Climate Change projects, he highlighted that the UK power industry is entering a period of unprecedented spending – £40 to £50 billion of new investment has been announced in the past year or so alone. This covers transmission, distribution, and generation in all its forms.

One of the biggest challenges, however, are system constraints, which he described as “ground zero.”  As an industry, we need to move to address constrain costs, building out the infrastructure to get the power to consumers.

The Importance of Public Engagement

Two key points Chris raised were the importance of public discussion and the need to “go the extra mile” to explain what we are doing. With some scepticism emerging around net zero, it is critical to keep the public engaged.

I believe we are already ahead of the curve at Bute Energy. Our pre-consultations, consultations, and ongoing engagement through social media are some of the ways we’re helping stakeholders understand the work we do. Maintaining open communication is essential for building trust and momentum. We are always looking for ways to improve.

He also reminded us not to lose the excitement- that “great things are happening.” Having worked in the power sector since the 1990s, I’ve seen extraordinary change. When I left the coal-fired power station I worked at (in 2012), 40% of the UK’s electricity came from coal; today it is zero, and that transition happened in just over 10 years. The pace of change is remarkable, and what we’re doing in Wales is genuinely exciting.

A Minister’s Commitment

On day two, we heard from Michael Shanks MP, the Minister for Energy. Recently confirmed in his role, he expressed huge enthusiasm and commitment to the clean power mission, describing it as “the economic opportunity of the 21st century.”

Onshore wind, he emphasised, is a central part of this mission. That aligns directly with what we are doing in our daily business and through our involvement with the Onshore Wind Industry Delivery Group and other initiatives. We are deeply involved in advancing this agenda.

One of his memorable phrases was that the “mission is a marathon and a sprint at the same time.”  It resonated with me – success requires endurance but also pace. To stay competitive, we need to be efficient, sharp, and committed to running at the front.

Environmental and Biodiversity Challenges

Dr Andy Mills – Director of Terrain (OWC) and Peatland Geomorphologist – led an insightful session on peat policy. In Scotland, peatlands are categorised into four levels, but in Wales and England such classifications don’t exist.  Our work in this space – through surveys, site visits, and environmental policy engagement – has helped shape the discussion and expand the body of knowledge.

On biodiversity, or “net benefit for biodiversity” as it is called here in Wales, we are also active in helping to define what this means. The aim is not simple blanket compensation but a workable framework that delivers genuine environmental benefits.

Skills and Future Growth

The conference also touched on energy and skills. Around 300,000 people currently work in the energy sector, with 55,000 in wind (40,000 offshore and 15,000 onshore). That figure is expected to grow, with onshore wind jobs forecast to reach 45,000. This is a major opportunity for Wales, and through our Future Skills Strategy we are preparing for it.

Scotland has already made progress by doubling the staff in its Energy Consents Unit, showing how increased resources can have a big impact. In Wales, we are helping too – by sponsoring two planning students at Cardiff University to kick start their careers. It may seem small, but these kinds of steps can be transformative for the industry.

Key Takeaways

From all of this, three clear lessons stand out:

  • Tell the positive stories about what a more independent, cleaner, and secure energy system can bring the UK.
  • Focus on execution – the industry has a lot of work ahead, but we must stay focussed on delivering what we know we can achieve.
  • Build industry links – collaboration with manufacturers and supply chains is critical. With new facilities being established in Wales, and our large project portfolio, we are well positioned to support them through our Social Value Standard.

In short, we are definitely on the right track and are working hard with our community and industry partners to be a meaningful part of the clean energy solution.

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