Proposed rules to block the installation of solar panels on land suitable for agriculture could see consumers billions of pounds worse off.
Banning solar farms on certain farmland, proposed as an amendment to the UK government’s Energy Bill, could prevent savings of up to £5 billion a year, analysts from the Energy & Climate Intelligence Unit found.
This could translate to as much as £180 per household, given power would likely be produced by more expensive gas instead.
“There has never been a cheaper form of energy than solar, and putting even more barriers in place to its rollout will cost the public dear,” analyst Tom Lancaster commented.
Under the proposals, solar installations would be banned on 500-plus acre sites where over a fifth of the land is classed as “best and most versatile”.
Not only could this restrict the UK to more costly energy production, farmers could also lose out on earnings from using the land for solar production, the think tank warned.
“With farmers seeking to diversify revenue streams in the face of volatile prices and increasingly extreme weather, red tape to halt solar farms would be anti-growth for the rural economy,” Lancaster warned.
Though the rule changes are yet to be debated on and the change far from guaranteed, analysts said the amendment would restrict further use of land likely needed for the UK to meet a targeted 70GW of solar capacity by 2035.
Some 0.7% of English farmland is estimated to be required to meet the target, the group added, equating to roughly 173,000 acres.
“As the most significant piece of energy legislation in a generation, the landmark Energy Bill is set to provide a cleaner, more affordable, and more secure energy system that is fit for the future," a government spokesperson said.
“We continue to support deployment of solar panels on brownfield and low and medium grade agricultural land, alongside rooftop solar panels, to help us achieve our ambition."