Miliband backs vast solar farms in push to expand renewable power

Ed Miliband has approved a new wave of renewable energy projects that could see solar panels spread across an area of farmland almost as large as Manchester, as the government accelerates its push to expand domestic clean power.

On Tuesday, the energy secretary signed off subsidies for 134 new solar farms across England and a further 23 in Wales and Scotland, alongside approval for 28 large onshore wind projects, mainly in Scotland and Wales.

Among the schemes given the green light is the vast West Burton solar farm on prime agricultural land on the Lincolnshire–Nottinghamshire border, as well as one of Britain’s most northerly solar developments on farmland in north Aberdeenshire. Miliband also approved England’s largest onshore wind project in a decade: the 20-megawatt Imerys wind farm on a former mining site in Cornwall.

Under the government’s Contracts for Difference (CfD) system, operators will receive a guaranteed minimum price for the electricity they generate for 20 years, funded through levies on consumer bills.

The announcement was welcomed by renewable energy companies and industry lobby groups, but prompted fierce criticism from countryside campaigners and opposition politicians, who warned of rising costs and the loss of productive farmland.

Claire Coutinho, the shadow energy secretary, said the subsidies would ultimately push electricity prices higher. “Once you add in network charges and the cost of back-up power, the true cost is far higher,” she said. “All this will do is make electricity more expensive. For a stronger economy and better living standards, we need to make electricity cheap.”

In total, the approvals cover 4.9 gigawatts (GW) of solar capacity, 1.3GW of onshore wind and four experimental tidal projects totalling 21 megawatts. The decision follows confirmation earlier this month of subsidies for 8.4GW of offshore wind capacity.

Based on previous developments, the solar projects could occupy more than 40 square miles of land — close to the size of Manchester, which spans about 45 square miles. The solar industry argues that improved panel efficiency will reduce the eventual land take to around 36 square miles, roughly equivalent to the size of Stoke-on-Trent.

Campaigners remain unconvinced. Rosie Pearson, chair of the Community Planning Alliance, said: “This represents further destruction of countryside and best farmland, while warehouse roofs, car parks and houses remain empty of solar panels. Add the pylons that accompany these schemes and rural areas are being industrialised.”

In Scotland, Helen Crawford of the Highland Community Council Convention on Major Energy Infrastructure warned that communities were struggling to keep pace with the scale of development. “The lack of strategic spatial planning has created a democratic deficit between communities and policymakers,” she said.

Industry groups strongly defended the move. James Robottom of RenewableUK said new onshore wind projects would protect consumers from volatile gas prices. Chris Hewett, chief executive of Solar Energy UK, described the approvals as “proof positive that solar provides the cheapest power available”.

Miliband said the decision was about long-term energy security. “By backing solar and onshore wind at scale, we’re driving bills down for good and protecting families and businesses from the fossil-fuel roller-coaster controlled by petrostates and dictators,” he said.

Under the latest CfD round, new onshore wind farms will receive a guaranteed price of £75.50 per megawatt hour (in today’s prices), while solar farms will be guaranteed £68.17. That compares with around £60 per MWh currently priced by markets for electricity delivery in 2028.

If market prices remain below those levels, the difference will be met by consumers through bill levies. The Office for Budget Responsibility has already warned that CfD levies on household and business bills are set to rise from £2.3bn in 2024-25 to about £5bn by 2030-31.

The approvals underline the scale, and controversy, of the government’s renewable energy ambitions, as it seeks to balance climate goals, energy security and the rising cost of living.