Clean Power 2030: Meeting the UK’s renewable energy targets

Why Clean Power 2030 matters for developers right now

The UK government’s Clean Power 2030 initiative sets an ambitious goal: decarbonising electricity generation by 2035, with a major milestone of 95% low-carbon electricity by 2030. Because of this, there is growing pressure on renewable developers to deliver viable, scalable, and compliant projects. 

This national push creates both opportunities and challenges. Rising demand for viable land, complex planning regulations, and limited grid capacity all make sourcing and appraising renewable energy sites harder than ever.

In response to Clean Power 2030, Searchland launched the Energy & DNO tool, which digitises the Embedded Capacity Register and overlays policy targets to help developers quickly identify grid-ready, low-risk sites.

In this article we’ll explore the Clean Power 2030 initiative, what it means for renewable energy development in the UK, and how to align your site sourcing strategy to take full advantage.

What is Clean Power 2030?

Clean Power 2030 is the UK’s national strategy to rapidly reduce fossil fuel use in electricity generation. It supports the wider Net Zero strategy and focuses on expanding low-carbon sources such as:

• Onshore and offshore wind
• Solar PV
• Battery storage and flexible grid systems
• Reformed planning and permitting processes
  

For renewable developers, this initiative has introduced an urgent and competitive environment. The government is driving demand for new sites with policy reform but planning constraints and grid access still present significant hurdles. 

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Three ways Clean Power 2030 will shape renewable development

1. Grid availability is a strategic priority

Grid connection delays are one of the biggest barriers to clean energy deployment. Ofgem reports that the total pipeline of projects waiting for connection now exceeds 700GW, well beyond the UK’s peak energy demand.

This makes grid mapping essential. Developers who can identify regions with embedded generation potential and sufficient capacity will have a clear advantage.

How Searchland helps: The Electrical Generation tool shows you all registered embedded generation assets, substations, and local capacity zones so you can filter out grid-saturated areas and focus your efforts where connection is realistic.

2. Planning constraints still limit speed

While the government has promised to streamline planning for renewable projects, major hurdles remain. Environmental protections, biodiversity net gain requirements, and Green Belt designations can delay or block development.

Developers must prioritise sites with fewer constraints from day one if they want to succeed. 

How Searchland helps: With national datasets on planning constraints, SHLAA sites, settlement boundaries, and biodiversity net gain zones, you can identify land parcels that are more likely to get approved early on. 

3. Developers need better data to compete

Local knowledge and spreadsheets are no longer enough. Developers need fast, accurate, and layered insights to compete in a crowded and fast-moving sector.

How Searchland helps: Combine layers like historical planning applications, land ownership records, sold price comparables, and live infrastructure data to quickly shortlist viable sites and reduce time spent on manual research.

How Searchland’s new Electricity Generation data supports Clean Power 2030

Searchland’s Electricity Generation layer directly supports the goals of Clean Power 2030. It allows renewable developers to:

• Visualise generation data by DNO and embedded asset
• Understand where new grid connections are viable or oversubscribed
• Overlay this data with planning constraints, SHLAA, and ownership layers
• Prioritise sites that align with Clean Power 2030 policy zones
  
  

This makes it easier to align your pipeline with national clean energy targets and avoid high-risk locations.

5-Steps to source better renewable energy sites

Here’s a proven step-by-step workflow using the Searchland platform: 

1. Define your preferred location, size, and generation target
2. Use the Electrical Generation tool to find areas with existing grid capacity
3. Overlay planning constraints and SHLAA layers to de-risk potential sites
4. Use ownership data to identify and contact landowners
5. Check planning history and sold price comparables to validate your options.

This approach helps you go from initial idea to development-ready site in a fraction of the time it would take using traditional methods.

Final thoughts: Aligning with the future of clean energy

Clean Power 2030 is not just an environmental goal, it’s an opportunity for developers to reshape the UK energy landscape. Those who embrace smarter data and faster tools will unlock better sites, reduce development risks, and play a key role in the transition to low-carbon power. Discover how sites found on Searchland have helped power up to 1 million UK homes in this case study with Downing Renewable Developments.

Now is the best time to upgrade your land sourcing strategy.

Ready to source smarter for Clean Power 2030?

Book a demo with Searchland today and discover how we can help you source grid-ready, planning-friendly renewable sites faster and easier than ever before.