Three new solar farms have been approved. Pic: PA The government has approved three new solar farms, that could power more than 400,000 homes, according to estimates. Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has approved the plans for projects at Mallard Pass, Rutland and Lincolnshire, Sunnica in Suffolk and Cambridgeshire, and Gate Burton in Lincolnshire.
The new Labour government has pledged to approve many new infrastructure projects - including on green energy. However, MPs impacted by the changes have already raised concerns. Three new solar farms have been approved. Pic: PA The government has approved three new solar farms, that could power more than 400,000 homes, according to estimates.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband’s decision to approve the largest solar farm so far will bolster energy security while helping to push down energy bills and wean the country off expensive natural gas, says the solar industry.
The Mallard Pass Solar Project application has been granted development consent by the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero. The project proposes a Solar photovoltaic array and electrical storage and connection infrastructure, with a generation capacity of greater than 50 MW.
A total of seven NSIP-scale solar farms have now secured consent. The others are Little Crow (150MW), Cleve Hill (373MW), Longfield (420MW), Mallard Pass (350MW), Gate Burton (500MW) and Sunnica (500MW) – the latter three all being approved shortly after the general election.
The projects granted DCOs include Mallard Pass, Sunnica and Gate Burton. Image: NextEnergy Capital. Ed Miliband, the secretary of state for Energy Security and Net Zero, granted development consent orders (DCOs) to three solar-based nationally significant infrastructure projects (NSIPs), totalling over 1.3GW of renewable energy generation capacity.