Greenpeace Complains to ICO Over Crown Estate's Offshore Wind Cost Practices
Greenpeace UK has filed a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office, alleging the Crown Estate is unlawfully withholding information about its profits from offshore wind activities in violation of the Crown Estate Act 1961. Greenpeace claims the Crown Estate's high leasing fees for developers lead to increased costs for energy consumers.
The Crown Estate, however, contends that it does not set option fees, which are determined by developers through competitive auctions. The Offshore Wind Leasing Round 4 concluded in January 2023, with six projects totaling 8GW capacity selected. The UK aims for operational wind capacity to reach 43-50GW by 2030 as part of its Clean Power 2030 initiative.
