The government would have the final say on approving large onshore wind farms instead of local councils under plans unveiled today.

The proposal is included in an action plan published today which sets out how the government intends to meet its target to decarbonise 95% of the UK grid by 2030.

Other measures in the 138-page document include plans to give the energy regulator Ofgem powers to prioritise major renewable energy schemes waiting in the queue for a connection to the country’s transmission grid.

The government’s proposals would give ministers the final say on large wind farm projects

Energy secretary Ed Miliband said the drive for a new era of renewable energy would lower bills, create job and “protect working people from the ravages of global energy markets”.

“This can only happen with big, bold change and that is why the government is embarking on the most ambitious reforms to our energy system in generations,” he said.

Labour wants to return large onshore wind projects to the Nationally SIgnificant Infrastructure Project regime in England in line with other types of energy projects.

Its plans would give ministers the final decision on approving onshore wind farms larger than 100 mw and allow them to overrule councils, which have often blocked these projects due to concern over damage to the environment and countryside.

The proposals build on the government’s move in September to ease planning rules for onshore wind, first introduced by David Cameron in 2015, which allowed schemes to be blocked by only a small number of local objections.

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While the public would still be consulted on these schemes, the Clean Power 2030 Action Plan published today proposes empowering the government to take a final decision based on national priorities.

The proposals for prioritising schemes waiting for an energy connection aims to be a departure from the existing ‘first come, first served’ approach and allow projects which the government deems to be most useful to jump ahead.

Projects waiting in the queue for a connection would provide a total of more than 700 gw of electricity if built, 14 times the amount of renewable energy which currently exists in the UK.

National Infrastructure Commission chair John Armitt has warmly welcomed the action plan, which he said will require transformation across the whole energy sector.

“A swift transition towards a fully renewable electricity system, while challenging, is not only possible but the right thing to do for billpayers, for clean growth and for a resilient economy,” Armitt said.

He added that it was “particularly encouraging to see the focus on streamlining the planning system and speeding up connections to the grid. 

“These are critical enablers to the accelerated delivery that we need to see across the sector,” he said.

“The target is stretching, and there is no time to waste. It’s critical that government now makes quick progress in turning this ambitious plan into concrete action.”

In a major speech last week, prime minister Keir Starmer said the government would fast-track decisions on at least 150 major infrastructure projects by the end of this Parliament.

But he watered down Labour’s target for decarbonising the entire UK grid by 2030, announcing the goal was now to achieve 95% clean energy by the end of the decade.

The former 100% target had been criticised as “mad, bad and dangerous” by shadow energy minister Claire Countinho and has been described by the National Grid as “incredibly stretching” due to the amount of work required over the next five years.

Energy secretary Ed Miliband insisted the new target, which had been recommended by the National Energy System Operator, was consistent with Labour’s pre-election pledge to decarbonise the UK as it had included a “strategic gas reserve”.