Government approves three new solar farms that could power 400,000 homes
The government has approved three new solar farms, that could power more than 400,000 homes, according to estimates.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has approved the plans for projects at Mallard Pass, Rutland and Lincolnshire, Sunnica in Suffolk and Cambridgeshire, and Gate Burton in Lincolnshire.
According to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), the projects could create a total power of 1.4GW – enough to power 406,994 homes.
In total, the farms will cover 2,837 hectares.
Mr Miliband said: “Solar power is crucial to achieving net zero, providing an abundant source of cleaner, cheaper energy on the mission towards 2030.
“Some of these cases had been held up for months before I arrived in the department. They were put on my desk on Monday and I’ve made a decision in three days. This is the speed we’re working at to achieve energy independence, cut bills for families and kickstart green economic growth.
“We will make tough decisions with ambition and urgency – all part of our plan to make the UK a clean energy superpower.”
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However, the approval is likely to anger those who live in the proposed areas.
Greenlighting infrastructure projects is a key part of the new government’s plans, and a key differentiator from the previous Conservative administration.
Alicia Kearns, the Conservative MP for Rutland and Melton, has already signalled her discontent with the Mallard Pass project – and signalled she may get lawyers involved.
Writing on social media, she said: “I am utterly appalled that less than one week into his role, Ed Miliband has approved the Mallard Pass Solar Plant for construction.”
She complained about the project disregarding various factors, including community consent, human rights and food security.
Ms Kearns also claimed the project would be supporting slave labour among the Uyghur population in China’s Xinjiang, before questioning if the government could have considered all the documents since the election.
In the decision letters for the Mallard Pass project, the government notes that any supplier will need “to upload its modern slavery and human trafficking statement annually to the Home Office register to enable monitoring by the local planning authorities”.
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For the Sunnica project, it is said Mr Miliband believes the need for decarbonised power “outweighs the effectively permanent loss of food production”.
Sam Richards, the head of pro-growth group Britain Remade, said he was “delighted” by the move – and that “once complete these renewable energy projects will deliver secure and abundant domestic energy to power hundreds of thousands of homes”.