His father thinks windfarms are a blot on the landscape, once saying he feared Britain would end up like Denmark “knee deep in these damn things”. But now Prince William is considering overturning their effective ban on royal land.
The Prince of Wales has ordered a major review of renewable energy on his 130,000-acre Duchy of Cornwall estate, which is expected to change the face of his hereditary property empire stretching across 20 counties in England.
William, 42, is looking at introducing large-scale solar panel farms, geothermal energy extracted from beneath the Earth’s surface, and biomass from decaying organic matter alongside onshore wind turbines to increase renewable energy output and help the duchy reach net zero carbon emissions by 2032.
The duchy’s board, the prince’s council, which is chaired by William, is expected to consider a study – described as a significant piece of work – on large-scale renewÂable energy later this year and sources have made it clear that putting wind farms on duchy land is up for consideration.
Alastair Martin, secretary and keeper of the records at the duchy, explained that it needed to act after seeing the effects of climate change across the estate. “Our farmers have seen a marked increase in weather extremes. Our marine estate has seen a rise in sea temperature. And the impact of prolonged drought on cropping is a real issue,” he said, expressing concern about limits on water supplies for farmers. “This is a big concern, which is why we have been investing to support our tenants to reduce emissions and have set our net zero target for late 2032.”

