Mega solar proposals won’t help us reach clean energy targets

CPRE Norfolk has serious concerns about the threat posed by proposals for mega solar developments in the county, writes David Hook.

Three Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) are already progressing through the planning system and developers are seeking additional sites for at least three more projects. In total, if all these proposals are permitted, around 17,000 acres of Norfolk countryside will be covered by solar panels (up to 4.5m in height) and associated infrastructure – equivalent to twice the land area of Norwich.

Industrialising large tracts of countryside is not the best way to address the challenges posed by climate change. CPRE Norfolk fully supports the de-carbonisation of energy production and this can be achieved in a better way by maximising the harvesting of solar energy from roofs and other artificial surfaces. The Climate Change Committee (CCC) has set a target of 85GW to be produced from solar sources by 2050 as part of the renewable energy requirement needed to achieve net zero by mid century. Research carried out by the UCL Energy Institute for CPRE has demonstrated that by 2050: ‘there is potential for up to 117GW of low carbon electricity to be generated from roofs and other developed spaces’. This is far higher than the CCC target. There really is no need for any mega solar on land.

Grid connection delays

The Norfolk NSIP schemes, in common with similar projects in other parts of the country, would not contribute to the achievement of the government’s 2030 95% clean power target because the grid connection offers for these proposals are in most instances at least 10 years in the future. They would therefore also be unlikely to be of benefit in helping to reach the UK’s ambitious commitment to cut emissions 81% by 2035. It is hard to see how mega solar on land can be justified on the grounds that it would be of use in addressing any immediate urgent need.

According to NESO, the National Energy System Operator, 200–225 GW of generation projects need to be connected to the grid by 2030 to reach the 95% clean power target. In order to achieve this NESO has set out a plan to reform the way in which the grid queue operates with ‘Ready’ projects being prioritised for connection. A ‘Ready’ scheme will most likely be one for which planning, land rights and finance is already in place. Proposals for new mega solar projects do not fit these criteria.

A CPRE Norfolk member has secured a parliamentary petition asking the government to ‘Promote solar energy on roofs and ban large-scale solar schemes on farmland and open countryside’. The petition has received widespread support throughout the UK and can be accessed and shared here.

In order to prevent the widespread industrialisation of countryside in Norfolk and elsewhere in the UK which would result from the imposition of NSIP mega solar schemes on local communities, each one covering thousands of acres of land, please sign this petition and support the CPRE message: renewables done well.

About the author

David Hook is the Chairman of the Vision for Norfolk Committee at CPRE Norfolk. This article originally featured as a guest blog on the CPRE National website.