Latest policy on solar power generation for farmers

Solar farms usually require planning permission. The size of a solar farm will determine which body decides the application. For example, in England: 1. Solar farms with a generating capacity below 50 megawatts (MW) need planning permission from the local planning authority (LPA). 2. Solar farms with a generating. . Solar farms are not evenly distributed across the UK 43% of ground-mounted installations (that have a capacity of at least one megawatt) that are already operational or are awaiting/under construction are located in. . As of March 2024, the cumulative installed capacity of solar power in the UK was 15.8 GW. The government aims to achieve 70 GW of solar power by 2035. The Environmental Audit Committee, a Commons Select. [pdf]

FAQS about Latest policy on solar power generation for farmers

Do solar farms need planning permission?

Solar farms with a generating capacity below 50 megawatts (MW) need planning permission from the local planning authority (LPA). Solar farms with a generating capacity above 50 MW need development consent from the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, because they are nationally significant infrastructure projects’ (NSIPs).

Do solar farms need development consent?

Solar farms with a generating capacity above 50 MW need development consent from the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, because they are nationally significant infrastructure projects’ (NSIPs). Planning is a devolved matter.

Are solar farms a 'critical national priority'?

The Secretary of State will decide applications for large-scale solar farms in line with energy national policy statements. These were updated in January 2024. They now state that the development of low-carbon infrastructure, such as solar farms, is a ‘critical national priority’.

Are solar farms covered by a national policy statement?

Although solar farms are not covered in the existing suite of National Policy Statements, the draft National Policy Statement for renewable energy infrastructure covers solar farms at the scale of nationally significant infrastructure.The draft National Policy Statements are currently undergoing Parliamentary scrutiny.

Are solar farms considered a nationally significant infrastructure project?

g and consenting regimes in the other UK countries.1 Above a threshold (set out in Section 15 of the Planning Act 2008) of more than 50MW for onshore and more than 100 MW for offshore generation, solar farms will be treated as Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects, for which a Development Co

Can a solar farm be built by 2035?

It aims to achieve 70 gigawatt (GW) of solar power by 2035 (up from 15.8 GW as of March 2024). Solar farms usually require planning permission. The size of a solar farm will determine which body decides the application. For example, in England: