England’s tallest onshore wind turbine is in Bristol with a height of 492ft, double the height of the average English turbine. Amazon is planning a slightly taller one, 500ft high, to power its warehouse in Swindon.
The Tory ban has prevented anything larger until now, but a rash of successful applications for solar projects is expected to embolden wind developers to push boundaries in England too.
The 2,500-acre Sunnica solar farm on the Cambridgeshire border with Suffolk has been approved by Mr Miliband despite widespread local opposition, as were the Mallard Pass Solar Farm and Gate Burton Energy Park projects in Lincolnshire.
Renewable UK, the trade body, expects a surge of planning applications for large new turbines in England in the coming months.
James Robottom, head of policy at RenewableUK, said larger wind turbines were more efficient: “Modern onshore wind turbines are larger, but they also generate considerably more power than those built in previous decades.
“Not all new wind farms will use larger turbines, but it’s reasonable for the option to be available given the clear benefit for the UK’s energy security, and for bill payers in having more low-cost electricity on the grid.”
Many local groups from CPRE, the countryside charity, are supporting calls for height limits, including Vicky Ellis from its Kent branch.
She said Mr Miliband would face huge opposition if he tried to force giant turbines into the county. “Kent is home to the Kent Downs National Landscape which spans the length of the county from Greater London to the White Cliffs of Dover. There is no space for turbines of any size where impact on landscapes won’t occur.”