We need to move away from burning fossil fuels. We need more renewable energy. We need people to own this energy.
80% of Britain is concerned about climate change. The crucial action needed isn’t happening fast enough. It’s time for us to make our voices heard. We need to show there’s a huge demand for change.
We’ve launched Generation YES to show the tremendous wave of support for renewables right across the country. People want more wind farms, both onshore and offshore, as well as new solar parks. And they want them fast.
By pledging support to Generation YES, people are able to make their voices heard. Wherever they live, no matter who they are, everyone, everywhere should have the right to own clean, low cost power.
We’ll use the power of your collective voice to drive the conversation forward on a national and local scale, with project developers, local councils and the government. We’ll fight to accelerate the consenting process of new projects and ensure we put the future of green power into the hands of the people.
With Generation YES, we’re demanding:
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- More onshore wind farms in England
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- More people-owned renewables
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- A future without fossil fuels
And we’re saying the time for action is NOW.
Why more onshore wind in England?
It’s still almost impossible to get consent for new onshore wind farms in England. Despite being the cheapest and greenest energy source, only 12 planning applications for new onshore wind farms in England were approved between 2016-2022. That resulted in just 21 new turbines over 7 years – less than 3% the the number of turbines built between 2009-2015.
Despite demand for change, onshore wind is treated differently to other infrastructure projects and can only be developed in certain parts of the country. This relies heavily on under-resourced local authorities having the capacity to identify these areas. You can read more about recent changes with onshore wind planning here.
Our ask: To accelerate the green energy transition, we need onshore wind to be treated the same as other infrastructure projects in the English planning system.
Why more people-owned renewables?
Wherever you live, no matter who you are, everyone, everywhere should have the right to clean, low cost power. By owning part of a wind farm or solar park, you can stabilise your energy bills and protect yourself from market price spikes. 65% of Brits believe households should be able to own their energy – whether they live close to a renewable energy project or not. We want the future energy system to be based on people-owned renewable energy. So everyone benefits directly.
Our ask: The tax system shouldn’t penalise collective ownership of large scale wind farms or solar parks. People who own parts of large scale renewable energy projects should be able to keep all the bill savings they receive. Just like people who have solar panels on their rooftops can. This can unleash a revolution in people power.
Why a future without fossil fuels?
Fossil fuels are the primary cause of climate change. We need to move away from fossil fuels quickly to avoid catastrophic global warming. Wind and solar generate clean electricity and are already cheaper than fossil fuels in the UK and in most countries around the world.
We need to switch away from petrol and diesel cars to electric vehicles. And away from gas and oil heating to electric heat pumps. And power them with clean, renewable electricity. One swoosh of a turbine’s blades can power an average home for eight hours. Only 37 minutes of solar park generation can power the average home for a year. With more wind farms and solar parks, we can remove our reliance on fossil fuels completely and green the grid with cheaper, cleaner energy. For a future where everyone benefits.
Our ask: The move to electric cars and heat pumps should be accelerated. The ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars should be brought forward to 2030 as initially intended. And the ban on the installation of new gas boilers should be brought forward to 2025 as initially intended.
People want renewables
We ran a national survey to see how the British population feel about renewables and energy ownership. It’s clear there’s huge support:
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- 67% of people support more renewable energy developments vs just 9% who are opposed
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- 10x more people would be more willing to own their own green energy source, like a wind farm or a solar park, than join extreme protest action to bring greener energy to the UK
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- 88% of 18-24 years olds are more supportive of renewable energy projects if they could own a part of it
Over 15,000 Ripple members from across the UK are leading the way, already owning renewable energy projects. The national grid and Ripple’s supply partners mean that anyone can benefit from their own wind and solar power, whether they live close to a project or not. This enables people-owned renewables to work for everyone, everywhere. For the first time, households up and down the country can protect themselves against energy price spikes and stabilise their electricity bills.
Generation YES empowers you, and the rest of the UK population to make your voice heard – to show the government there is a real wave of momentum behind the support for renewables and people-owned power. A shift to a renewable future can, and should, be owned by the people. Everyone should gain from the UK’s transition to clean power. And NOW is the time for action.
It’s time for you to take your seat at the table. Pledge your support to Generation YES and make your voice heard.
