Solar industry reacts to UK Energy Secretary's statement on food security

In a parliamentary statement on Wednesday, UK Energy Security Secretary Claire Coutinho said that the best agricultural land must be prioritised for food production.

The reaction of the REA (Association for Renewable Energy and Clean Technology) was that planning guidance already ensures that the highest quality agricultural land is not built on. It therefore added that the purpose of the statement seemed unclear.

Solar Energy UK viewed the statement as confirmation that existing land use policies will continue to provide stability for the sector. It said the only significant change announced by Claire Coutinho was on the issue of soil quality grading accuracy and the government’s plans to support independent certification of assessments by developers.

“Both Coutinho and the Prime Minister’s broader comments on food security appear to be directed at a small minority of anti-solar Conservative backbenchers, rather than decision-makers in local councils,” Solar Energy UK’s statement reads.

The trade association stated that solar farms are no threat to food security as they take up small fraction of the country, help fight climate change, provide income to farming businesses and help keep energy costs down.

The UK government aims to increase solar deployment up to 70 GW by 2035 and the publication of a government-industry Solar Roadmap is expected in the coming weeks.

The Written Ministerial Statement: Solar and protecting our Food Security and Best and Most Versatile (BMV) Land can be seen on the UK Parliament’s website.

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