Peter Lazenby
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THE government will become one of its own “enemies of growth” if it bans new solar panel farms on most agricultural land, supporters of renewable energy said today.
Environment Secretary Ranil Jayawardena is reportedly considering changing the classification of farmland which can be used for solar panels because they impede his plans to increase agricultural production.
Chris Hewett, chief executive of the trade association Solar Energy UK, said that blocking new solar power would place the government in the “anti-growth coalition” Prime Minister Liz Truss identified at the Tory Party conference last week.
Her “coalition” included just about anyone opposing her nightmare policies, including environment campaigners, Labour and trade unions.
Ms Truss’s declaration came after Greenpeace staged a protest during her address asking who had voted for her policies, such as lifting a ban on environmentally destructive fracking.
Mr Hewett said: “Solar power is the answer to so many needs and policy demands: it will cut energy bills, deliver energy security, boost growth and help rural economies.
“Ranil Jayawardena’s opposition to solar farms must surely make him part of the anti-growth coalition.”
Greenpeace UK director Dr Doug Parr said: “The government is once again trying to sabotage one of the cheapest and quicker-to-deploy energy sources we have.
“Since it’s perfectly possible to use land underneath solar panels, we don’t face a stark dilemma between homegrown clean energy and food.
“With energy bills at an all-time high, the government should get rid of barriers to the cheapest energy sources we have, not put up new ones.”
