The government wants to bring large onshore wind projects back into the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) regime in England – in line with other energy infrastructure.
Labour’s plans would mean the government would have the final say on approving wind farm projects larger than 100MW, rather than councils.
Coutinho said Labour’s “rush” to decarbonise the electricity system by 2030 would push up electricity prices and cause more hardship for people across Britain.
“We need cheap, reliable energy – not even higher bills,” she said.
But Miliband told BBC Breakfast on Friday that the current reliance on gas leaves consumers vulnerable to price changes.
“At the moment we are at the mercy of the rollercoaster of fossil fuel markets – gas prices are subject to the decisions of petrostates and dictators,” he said.
“It is time to have homegrown clean energy that we can control.”
Prior to the election Labour predicted that households would save £300 on their energy bills as a result of its green measures – citing research by independent think tank Ember. , external
On Friday Miliband reasserted this figure but said it would be “up to £300” – suggesting it could be lower.
Onshore wind is one of the cheapest forms of clean energy. But there has been a 94% decline in projects in England since 2015 when the previous Conservative government tightened planning regulations for wind farms – following pushback from local communities over potential environmental damage.
Subsequently, only a small number of local objections would be enough to effectively block new projects.
Following Labour’s general election victory, planning rules for onshore wind were eased in September 2024. But renewable energy groups said they did not go far enough.
The public will still be consulted on new wind farms, but the secretary of state will be empowered to take any final decision -based on national priorities such as tackling climate change.
Mr Miliband told the BBC’s Today programme on Friday: “There are difficult trade offs here and unless we change the way we do things we are going to be left exposed as a country.
“In the end it will be a national decision.”
The government maintains any project will need to have “direct community benefits” and proposes to establish a recovery fund to invest in nature projects as compensation for any environmental damage.