The UK’s Minister for Energy, Peter Hain, has released renewable energy projects which have been blocked by planning constraints. The action has been made in an attempt to increase the production of renewable energy in the UK.

Renewable energy projects which have been proposed under the non fossil fuel obligation (NFFO), but have failed to obtain planning permission, will now be possible without the developer losing the benefit of their NFFO contract.

Hain says that he intends to free the potential of renewable energy projects, by allowing developers to look for alternative sites and seek new planning consents. It is believed that this step will play a big part in ensuring the uptake of renewable energy in the next few years and help the UK to reach its target of 10% of energy supply from renewables by 2010.

An independent survey has suggested that around 100 projects could go ahead as a result of these new measures, of which a significant number are wind, landfill gas and hydro.
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