Grid needs 'sorting out' for solar farm, says minister

Energy Secretary Ed Milliband has blamed a failure to upgrade the grid for delays in bringing a huge new solar farm south of Reading online.

The minister, who is responsible for Whitehall's attempts to reach net zero on carbon emissions, said the power distribution system needed "sorting out".

But the process has pushed back the date for the 43,000-panel Barkham Solar Farm to be connected to the electrical network by between three to seven years.

Wokingham Borough Council paused the project earlier this month, just weeks before work was due to start saying the current uncertainty meant it would not be sensible to press ahead with a multi-million pound spend at this time.

Milliband was in Berkshire to promote the government's warm homes plan to insulate homes and change heating to greener alternatives including heat pumps, solar and batteries.

But during the visit, he was asked about the delay to the Barkham project, which had been expected to produce enough electricity to power 10,500 homes.

He described the grid system when the Labour government took power as "dysfunctional".

"We're doing a massive overhaul, precisely so we can have the right projects connecting," he said.

Reordering the queue for projects to get connected stopped Barkham farm in its tracks, with Wokingham Borough Council, which owns the site, saying it could have helped meet national targets to boost renewable energy by 2030.

Milliband also faced questions about the latest warm homes deal.

He visited tenant Pam Moore who moved into a new flat on the site of a former council swimming baths just under two years ago.

She told him the heating was so effective in the rest of her home she had barely had to turn it on in her bedroom, despite the recent cold snaps.

Most of the homes nearby though are Victorian-era terraced properties, built originally for workers at the Huntley and Palmer biscuit factory in the town.

Industry experts say their age means they are often difficult to insulate without additional cladding, if they are to be made suitable for greener heating systems like heat pumps.

The latest warm homes policy does not include help towards the cost of installing external insulation after shoddy workmanship under previous schemes left many homes facing serious damp issues.

"There are lots of different solutions out there," according to Milliband: "It's all about tackling the cost of living crisis that so many people face."

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