More solar farms on the way after record renewables auction

More solar farms are on the way around the UK, in a move that boosts the country's clean power goals but could spark anger from local opponents.

The government awarded contracts to a record supply of renewables projects, including 157 solar developments across England, Scotland and Wales.

The results have been welcomed by climate and clean energy groups, who see solar as a relatively cheap way to reduce the UK's reliance on fossil fuels during the summer months.

But some local communities oppose such large developments on their doorstep.

The West Burton solar farm planned for the Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire border has become the largest ever to win a government contract, but local opponents fear it could cause "mass industrialisation" of the countryside.

All of the solar projects had already been granted planning permission, and are now due to be delivered in the next few years.

Other renewable energy projects to get contracts include onshore wind – mainly in Scotland – and a small number of tidal power developments.

In January the government announced contracts for a record supply of offshore wind, which is widely seen as the backbone of the UK's future clean power system.

By 2030 the government wants at least 95% of Great Britain's electricity to come from "clean" sources, including renewables – such as solar and wind – and nuclear energy.

While solar cannot be relied on throughout the year – for example on short, dull winter days - it can complement wind power, particularly during the summer months when wind speeds tend to be lower.

Last year, solar energy provided more than 6% of Great Britain's electricity – rising to more than 40% for a small number of half-hour periods in July.

The government is targeting 45-47 gigawatts (GW) of solar power capacity by 2030, to help meet its clean power goal, potentially rising to 54-57GW with extra rooftop solar.

That would be up from 21GW as of autumn 2025, according to government figures, although the solar industry puts current capacity at 24GW.

The government also wants more batteries and other storage systems, to be able to make use of solar energy outside of sunny periods.

Today's haul of solar farms secures another 4.9GW of capacity across 157 projects, higher than the 3.3GW across 93 projects in the previous auction in 2024.

The results have been broadly welcomed by clean energy groups as a major step-forward for the solar industry.

However, most analysts still have serious doubts about whether the government will meet its 2030 clean power target, given the number of renewables projects that still need building and connecting to the grid.

The solar and onshore wind projects awarded contracts are given a guaranteed price – for 20 years for solar and wind in this auction – and linked to inflation. That certainty is designed to reassure developers that they will get a return on their upfront investment.

The solar projects have been awarded a fixed price of £65 per megawatt-hour of electricity generated, in 2024 prices. That is down from the £70/MWh awarded at the last auction in 2024, also in 2024 prices.

About 1.3GW of onshore wind projects were also awarded contracts. They have risen slightly in price, to £72/MWh, up from £71/MWh in the last auction, both in 2024 prices.

These projects can end up raising or lowering household bills, partly depending on how they compare to the price of electricity on the wholesale market. Wholesale market prices are usually driven by gas today.

But the final impact on bills is difficult to calculate as it depends on future gas prices, grid upgrades and how much our demand for electricity rises, among other factors.

The government says that the solar and wind prices are much cheaper than the alternative of building and fuelling a new gas power plant.

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said: "By backing solar and onshore wind at scale, we're driving bills down for good and protecting families, businesses, and our country from the fossil fuel rollercoaster controlled by petrostates and dictators."

But shadow energy secretary Claire Coutinho said: "Ed Miliband is loading more and more wind and solar on to the grid before the grid can handle it.

"The true cost of this power, once you add in network charges and back up is far higher, so all this will do is make our electricity even more expensive," she claimed.

Reform UK has also questioned the cost of and need for net zero. Meanwhile the Lib Dems and the Greens want to see an expansion of renewables around the country to tackle the threat of climate change and boost green jobs, although some councillors have raised local objections.

The SNP supports renewables and has long argued for Scotland to have control over its energy resources. Plaid Cymru says it recognises the need for a range of renewable technologies but has opposed some large solar farms covering agricultural land.

A small number of contracts have also been awarded to tidal power projects. They are expensive but the government sees them as an investment in a technology which could become cost-effective in future, as well as boosting green jobs.

Separately, the government has announced the launch of its "Local Power Plan", which it says will allow communities around the UK to "own and control their own energy".

It has committed up to £1bn of funding - part of the money already pledged for its state-owned Great British Energy company - for local energy projects, such as solar panels on community buildings like leisure centres.

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