Offshore Wind Firms Seek Exemption from Nature Rules to Meet Green Energy Goals

As of October 28th, 2025, the UK government is facing a dilemma in its efforts to boost renewable energy production. Offshore wind companies have warned that new nature protection rules could make it prohibitively expensive to construct the vast number of turbines required to meet the government's green electricity targets.

Under proposed regulations from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), all nationally significant infrastructure projects, including offshore wind farms, would be required to enhance nature by creating 10% more habitat than was present before the project began. However, the energy firms have argued that complying with these "biodiversity net gain" (BNG) rules would add disproportionate costs and legislative challenges to their renewable energy developments.

In response, the government is now considering exempting offshore wind projects from the BNG requirements in an effort to keep the cost of renewable energy down and avoid a hike in energy bills. Sources within the energy secretary's department say they are trying to find ways to reduce the overall costs of building offshore wind farms, which have been rising due to inflation, labor shortages, and the need for grid upgrades.

The decision to potentially exclude offshore wind from the new nature rules is a controversial one, as environmental groups warn that it would be a "short-sighted" move that trades off nature protection for climate action. However, the government argues that the biggest threat to biodiversity is climate change, and that burning more gas due to higher electricity prices would be even more damaging.