Miliband is backing solar and wind projects covering farmland almost the size of Manchester

Ed Miliband has promised a massive expansion of renewable energy schemes across the UK, backing solar farms that would cover an area of ​​farmland nearly the size of Manchester, as well as a number of new offshore wind developments.

On Tuesday, the energy secretary offered consumer-backed funding for 134 new solar farms in England and a further 23 in Wales and Scotland. He also approved 28 major offshore wind projects, mostly in the highlands of Scotland and Wales.

Among the schemes given the green light is West Burton’s largest solar farm in prime farmland on the Lincolnshire-Nottinghamshire border, and one of the UK’s largest solar developments on farms in north Aberdeenshire. Miliband also approved England’s biggest offshore wind project in a decade, the 20 megawatt Imerys Wind Farm on a former mining site in Cornwall.

Under the government’s Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme, operators of new projects will receive a guaranteed minimum amount of electricity they generate for up to 20 years after operation, with the difference funded through electricity credit taxes.

The announcement was welcomed by renewable energy developers and industry groups, who argue that large-scale solar and offshore wind are among the cheapest ways to generate new electricity.

However, rural campaigners and the public have warned that the decision risks long-term damage to farms and rural areas.

Claire Coutinho, Labour’s energy secretary, said the subsidy would ultimately increase household debt. “The actual cost of this energy, once you add the cost of the network and backup, is very high,” he said. “All this will make electricity more expensive, when what we need is cheap energy to support growth and living standards.”

The concessions include 4.9 gigawatts (GW) of solar capacity, 1.3GW of onshore wind and four tidal pilot projects totaling 21 megawatts. They follow the confirmation earlier this month of funding for 8.4GW of offshore wind capacity.

Campaign groups argue that the global impact of solar is being underestimated. Rosie Pearson, chair of the Community Planning Alliance, said: “This means the destruction of the countryside and the best farms while the roofs of warehouses, car parks and houses remain empty of solar panels.

Based on previous developments, the approved solar farms could cover more than 40 square miles of mostly agricultural land, around the size of Manchester, which covers about 45 square miles. The solar industry estimates that improving the efficiency of the panels would reduce the storage area to around 36 square miles, roughly the size of Stoke-on-Trent.

Concerns have also been raised about the pace of offshore wind development in Scotland. Helen Crawford of the Highland Community Council Convention on Major Energy Infrastructure said communities are lagging behind in planning decisions. “The lack of strategic land planning has caused a lack of democracy between communities and policy makers,” he said.

Industry associations have rejected claims that the projects will increase costs. RenewableUK’s James Robottom said new onshore wind would protect consumers from fluctuating electricity prices, while Chris Hewett, chief executive of Solar Energy UK, described the approval as “good evidence” that solar is delivering affordable energy.

Miliband defended the decision, saying the increase would strengthen electricity security and reduce debt in the long term. “By supporting solar and offshore wind on a large scale, we reduce debt for profit and protect families and businesses from the fossil-fuel rollercoaster controlled by petrostates and dictators,” he said.

Under the latest CfD terms, new offshore wind farms will receive a minimum of £75.50 per megawatt hour (MWh) at today’s prices, while solar projects will receive £68.17 per MWh. That compares to market prices of around £60 per MWh of electricity expected to be delivered in the summer of 2028.

The Office for Budget Responsibility previously warned that CfD tax on consumer and business energy bills is expected to rise from £2.3 billion in 2024-25 to almost £5 trillion in 2030-31, fueling the political debate over who ultimately pays for the UK’s clean energy transition.