Future of UK Solar Farm Expansion Plans under Rishi Sunak
Solar farm future in Britain is unknown after the resigned Liz Truss expressed her intentions to ban solar energy from most of England’s farmland, arguing that it would hurt food security and agriculture.
Many in the renewable energy industry had hopes that whoever succeeds Liz Truss will stop the ban proposal and support the deployment of renewable and clean energy means. But those hopes were dashed after the announcement of Rishi Sunak’s victory in the position, as he previously agreed with Truss’ direction and statements.
And in Norfolk, in eastern England, a recent project for a 200-acre farm, which could supply thousands of surrounding homes with clean electricity, has raised questions as Sunak had not confirmed it until now.
What is Rishi Sunak’s Stand About Solar Farms?
As the debate continues over solar farms in Britain and the reception of agricultural lands for the panels, attention has turned to Rishi Sunak, who took office on October 24 as Prime Minister, succeeding Liz Truss.
4 months ago, Sunak made a shocking statement that crushed the hopes the industry had to cancel Truss’ plans.
Mr Sunak said, in an article he wrote and published in The Guardian, he would bring in new rules to ensure that solar panels are erected on sheds and commercial properties, rather than on productive farmland, as he vowed to “protect our best farmland from ‘rewilding’”.
He also wrote “We cannot have successful food production if we don’t look after the natural assets that support it. But we need to make sure that the right support is in place and that it is accessible for all, including tenant farmers.”
And after he became Prime Minister, Britain’s Renewable Energy Association urged Rishi Sunak to boost energy security and reduce the country’s electricity bills by supporting clean energy plans.
But on the other hand, count officials defended the decision to ban building solar farms on farmlands, arguing that the land on which the farm is intended to be built has been producing food crops for many years; therefore, building solar panels over it is a threat to food security and agriculture.
Ben Fawcett, the head of the solar energy unit at the British branch of the government’s EDF Renewable Energy Company in Paris, provided another perspective as he mentioned that the expansion of solar farms does not harm agriculture, on the contrary, it offers adequate income for agricultural landowners as t improves energy prices.
And so the question remains, would Rishi Sunak has the same opinion and plans as Liz Truss did, or would he prioritize clean energy over farmlands as Boris Johnson promised?
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