To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of United Kingdom electricity they expect to be provided by land-based wind energy by 2020 without disproportionate damage to the rural landscape. [HL3110]

The UK has committed to a binding target of 15 per cent renewable energy (electricity, heat and transport) by 2020. Under a potential scenario in the renewable energy strategy (RES) consultation, published in June 2008, this could equate to 32 per cent renewable electricity.

We estimated in the RES consultation that under one scenario we might require up to 14 gigawatts (GW) of onshore wind, which is equivalent to around 9 per cent of our electricity needs (based on provisional net electricity supplied in 2008).

The actual number of wind farms will depend on the market bringing forward suitable proposals. These will all be considered on a project basis through the planning process. Environmental and visual impacts are a material consideration in the planning process. Clear guidance is set out in planning policy statement (PPS) 22 and will be reinforced through national policy statements (NPS) which are being introduced under the Planning Act. PPS 22 can be downloaded at www.communities.gov.uk/publications/planningand building/pps22.