The Electricity Act 1989 (Requirement of Consent for Solar Generating Stations) (England) Order 2025
The Electricity Act 1989 (Requirement of Consent for Solar Generating Stations) (England) Order 2025, effective December 31, 2025, amends the 1989 Act to increase the permitted capacity of solar generating stations in England from 50 to 100 megawatts before requiring Secretary of State consent.
The Order applies to England and Wales and is supported by a separate impact assessment.
Arguments For
Increased Renewable Energy Generation: Raising the capacity threshold for consent encourages the development of larger-scale solar power projects, potentially boosting renewable energy generation and contributing to climate change mitigation targets.
Economic Growth and Investment: Larger solar farms can attract increased investment, leading to job creation and economic growth in affected areas.
Energy Security: Expanding domestic renewable energy supply enhances energy security and reduces reliance on fossil fuels.
Legal Basis: The Order is made under the explicit powers granted by Section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989, providing a solid legal foundation.
Evidence-based Decision: The Order is justified and supported by a full impact assessment (published separately), which considers the potential effects on various sectors.
Arguments Against
Environmental Concerns: Larger solar farms may have significant environmental impacts, including land use changes and potential effects on biodiversity, requiring careful planning and mitigation.
Grid Infrastructure Requirements: Integrating larger solar farms into the national grid may require significant upgrades to infrastructure, leading to added costs.
Community Impacts: Large-scale solar projects may raise concerns within local communities regarding visual impacts, land access and other factors.
Potential for Unintended Consequences: Increasing the capacity threshold without adequately considering potential secondary effects could lead to unforeseen problems.
Alternative Approaches: Other policies, like streamlining the permitting process for smaller solar projects, might achieve similar outcomes without increasing the capacity threshold.
- Citation, commencement and extent (1) This Order may be cited as the Electricity Act 1989 (Requirement of Consent for Solar Generating Stations) (England) Order 2025 and comes into force on 31st December 2025. (2) This Order extends to England and Wales.
This section provides the formal citation and effective date (December 31, 2025) for the Order.
It also specifies that the Order's geographical scope includes both England and Wales.
- Modification of section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 In the case of a generating station which generates electricity directly from sunlight and is situated in England, section 36(2)(a) of the Electricity Act 1989 has effect as if for “50 megawatts” there were substituted “100 megawatts”.
This section modifies Section 36(2)(a) of the Electricity Act 1989.
For solar generating stations in England, the threshold for needing specific consent from the Secretary of State is increased from 50 megawatts to 100 megawatts.