Vale of Clwyd MS, Gareth Davies, has called for a common-sense solar energy approach that protects Welsh Farmland and Food Security. He called on the Welsh Government to rethink its approach to solar energy development, warning against sacrificing prime agricultural land for limited environmental gain.
In a forthright Senedd contribution during a Welsh Conservatives’ debate on solar energy, Mr Davies emphasised the importance of balancing the nation’s environmental responsibilities with its duty to protect food production, rural communities, and energy security.
He highlighted that productive farmland in Wales is being increasingly covered by large sale solar farms, despite the nation’s limited sunshine and growing food security pressures. He argued that this trend risks undermining the work of farmers and threatening the long-term even in sunnier countries, solar energy is intermittent and requires vast tracts of land. He also warned that this shift could be seen by the farming community as part of a wider agenda to phase out livestock farming, particularly in light of proposed reduction s in livestock numbers under the Welsh Government’s first iteration of the Sustainable Farming Scheme.
He urged the Welsh Government to focus instead on practical, high-impact alternatives. These include expanding support for rooftop solar installations on homes, schools and public buildings, and investing in more reliable and efficient renewables such as tidal and hydroelectric power.
Mr Davies also highlighted environmental concerns around the toxicity of materials used in solar panels and the long-term degradation of farmland where they are installed. With the war in Ukraine and the COVID-19 pandemic having brought home vulnerabilities in food supply chains, he stressed the importance of preserving Wales’ agricultural capacity as a national priority.
He ended his contribution by calling for solar energy to play a balanced role in Wales’ diverse energy infrastructure.
Following the exchange, Gareth said:
“I’m deeply concerned by the rush to cover our valuable farmland in solar panels at the cost of food production and rural livelihoods.
“We can and should pursue renewable energy, but that pursuit must be rooted in evidence, not ideology.
"Wales needs energy that is secure, affordable, and sustainable, not the result of an expensive ideological push.
“I urge the Welsh Government to consider solar farms for brownfield sites, and degraded land, thus protecting our farmland, supporting our farmers, and safeguarding our future.”