The Welsh government has sparked concern after voting to keep the door open for solar panel developments on prime agricultural land, despite warnings it could threaten food security.
A motion, tabled in the Senedd by the Welsh Conservatives, called for a comprehensive solar energy strategy—one that would support the transition to renewables without sacrificing food producing farmland.
“Agricultural land is essential to feeding the nation,” the motion warned, urging the Welsh government to prioritise alternative sites for solar infrastructure.
Following the debate on Wednesday (11 June), the Labour-run government rejected the motion, instead highlighting the role that solar power plays in meeting Wales’s climate ambitions.
The Welsh government has pledged to meet 100% of Wales’s electricity demand from renewable sources by 2035, with the broader goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2050.
But Samuel Kurtz MS, Welsh Conservative Shadow Secretary for Energy & Rural Affairs, criticised Labour’s “disappointing” stance.
“It is essential that we do all we can to protect our assets, and that includes safeguarding fertile farmland from being paved over for solar panels. It’s common sense,” he said.
“While securing our energy future is important, it must not come at the expense of our agricultural land. Undermining farming in this way threatens food security and rural livelihoods.
“I am disappointed that Labour chose to vote against our pragmatic motion that would protect agricultural land from new solar panel applications.”
Janet Finch-Saunders MS, who led the debate and serves as the Welsh Conservative Shadow Secretary for the Environment, also stressed the need for a strategic rethink.
“We need a clear and sustainable solar strategy that balances renewable energy development with the protection of our farmland. The current lack of strategy risks undermining both our energy goals and our food security.
“From Switzerland to Japan, measures are being taken in nations globally to see solar panels placed in innovative locations which do not hamper food production.
“The Welsh government needs to pause to put an ambitious plan in place for a solar revolution.”
