Significant support for battery energy storage as part of push for clean power

The polling also found that English councillors are aligned with their constituents on this issue, with 75% stating they would support a solar farm with battery storage being developed in their area, a figure that falls to just 62% if the solar farm was developed without battery storage.

Battery storage enables energy generated from renewables, like solar and wind, to be stored and then released when the power is needed most. With the transition to a renewable energy mix, batteries are the most flexible asset for stabilising the ebbs and flows of power generation. With the government planning to ramp up the deployment of renewable generation as part of the Clean Power 2030 plan – doubling onshore wind, trebling solar and quadrupling offshore wind – battery storage will play a critical role in delivering this plan.

Neil Brooks, Managing Director at Root-Power, commented: “It’s great to see such a high level of support for battery storage projects among both councillors and the people they represent. For many battery storage projects are a ‘no-brainer’, they bring a whole range of benefits to help support the energy transition with support for projects cutting across party lines and different age groups.

“What we really need now is a concerted effort from local and central government to embrace this support and help the sector to bring more developments forward.”

Battery storage developments are also popular as standalone renewable projects, with two-thirds (65%) of the public stating they would support the development of a battery storage project in their area. Among councillors this support was even higher, over three-quarters (77%) among all respondents, compared to just 14% opposing it. The poll also found:

• Opposition to battery storage projects does not rise above 17% across all age groups.
• Labour voters are most supportive of battery projects (71%), followed by Green Party (70%) and then Conservative (66%).
• Reform UK voters were the most opposed to battery storage projects (but still 64% support them).

For proponents of battery storage, various benefits were cited:

• ‘Greater energy security for the UK’ was most frequently identified as one of the biggest benefits (37%).
• ‘Reduction in energy prices’ (33%).
• ‘New jobs and skills for local people’ (30%).

A typical battery storage site with 50 MW capacity requires approximately 1.5 acres of land – around the size of a football pitch. When asked where these sites should be located, both the public and councillors would like see battery storage developed on brownfield land the most – with 70% and 85% supportive respectively. Greenfield land, which is neither Green Belt nor Grey Belt, would gather less support for the development of battery storage, with 53% of the public and 73% of councillors opposing it.

Neil added: “It’s unsurprising to see brownfield land selected as the most popular designation for new projects, this is something we hear from communities across the UK. Unfortunately, recent changes to planning guidelines for battery storage have made developing projects on brownfield land more challenging.”

“Many brownfield sites are unviable for new battery projects, meaning many developers default to greenfield land, which can often be met with hostility from local communities and planning committees. I’d encourage the government to look at ways to improve the viability of Brownfield sites so projects can garner higher levels of public and councillor support, bringing projects online quicker to the benefit of us all.”

For more news and technical articles from the global renewable industry, read the latest issue of Energy Global magazine.

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