Britain confirms plans to localise onshore wind farm consent

* Planning consent to transfer to local authorities
* Measures to end onshore wind subsidies to come separately

LONDON  - Britain on Wednesday confirmed plans to give local authorities the planning consent power for onshore wind farms but said it would announce measures to end subsidies separately.

Britain's Queen Elizabeth outlined the new government's agenda in a speech on Wednesday.

The government plans to introduce an Energy Bill to transfer consenting powers for onshore wind farms which have over 50 megawatts (MW) of capacity from the energy minister to local planning authorities in England.

The changes to planning consent, however, will not apply in Scotland and Northern Ireland, and proposed changes by a devolution commission would mean Wales will have the power to manage planning applications for onshore wind farms of up to 350 MW, an accompanying government document to the speech said.

The government said it will consult with devolved administrations on changes to subsidy regimes for onshore wind.

"The commitment to end new subsidy for onshore wind farms will be delivered separately and (the government) will be announcing measures to deliver this soon," the document added.

Many onshore wind investors have argued that an end to subsidies for large onshore wind farms would raise energy bills as onshore wind is the cheapest form of renewable energy.

"While the Energy Bill confirms the move to put planning decisions about onshore wind in England and Wales in the hands of local communities, no details have been provided on the more pertinent issue for onshore wind which is the commitment to end new subsidies," said Ronan O'Regan, head of renewables at PwC.

"This will have a bigger bearing on the industry who will want early clarity on what "new subsidies" means and whether this will apply across all of the UK including Scotland. We may see more on this in the Budget in July," O'Regan added.