The proposal to boost green electricity in the south of England
The energy regulator Ofgem has proposed a plan to turn farmland equivalent to 40,000 football pitches into industrial-scale solar parks and wind farms across southern England. The plan aims to boost green electricity generation close to London, where demand is highest and supply is lowest.
According to Ofgem, the plan could help cut consumer bills by £51 billion over 15 years, as well as reduce CO2 emissions and increase energy security for the south. The plan is part of Ofgem’s wider scheme for “locational pricing”, which would make the wholesale price of electricity vary by region, depending on local supply and demand, and how close power stations are to consumers.
The proposal suggests that 20 gigawatts of electricity could be generated by new solar farms across the Home Counties and East Anglia, meaning the installation of up to 60 million industrial solar panels. Another 4-6 gigawatts would come from onshore wind farms, comprising 2-3,000 wind turbines, also in the Home Counties and the south. The total output would roughly equate to 13 nuclear power stations.
The impact on the rural landscape and farmers
However, the plan has sparked controversy among environmental groups and rural communities, who fear that the massive expansion of solar and wind farms would damage the countryside and displace farmers. Solar farms take up 2,500 acres of land for each gigawatt of power, which means that up to 50,000 acres of fertile farmland could be repurposed for renewable energy.
The Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) has warned that the plan could see many tenant farmers thrown off their land, increase pressure on the green belt, and see rural landscapes altered forever. David Mairs, of CPRE Kent, said: “We accept that some solar farms and offshore wind farms are going to happen, but the gung-ho approach being suggested is not justifiable, on landscape grounds alone.”
Some counties, such as Wiltshire, are already facing a proliferation of solar farms, with 42 already operating and another 12 in development. A heritage group in the county is protesting against the new solar projects, arguing that they would harm the historical and natural value of the area.
The benefits and challenges of locational pricing
Ofgem claims that locational pricing would create a more efficient and flexible electricity market, which would incentivise renewable energy development in regions where it is most needed and profitable. The regulator says that consumer benefits of locational pricing could reach £51 billion between 2025-2040, and that for domestic consumers, this would be equivalent to £56 a year saving.
However, the benefits would not be evenly distributed across the country, as different regions would face different electricity prices, depending on their proximity to power sources. For example, consumers in regions like Scotland, which already have thousands of turbines both onshore and around their coasts, would pay much less than consumers in regions like London and the south east, which are most distant from northern and offshore wind farms.
Ofgem admits that Scottish consumers would gain most with savings averaging £60, while Londoners would benefit by just £10 a year. The regulator also acknowledges that locational pricing would pose some challenges, such as the need for more transmission and distribution infrastructure, the risk of market power abuse by some generators, and the potential impact on vulnerable consumers and social equity.
