The rise of biodiverse solar parks

I received a surprising email from Vogelbescherming Nederland. This organization is in favor of the construction of solar parks on farmland. Because, according to the argument, a nice solar park can achieve greater biodiversity than with farmland. I predict that nature organizations will promote the large-scale construction of solar parks on farmland.

The close collaboration between nature organizations and energy suppliers will not have escaped anyone's attention. They helped each other in removing forests from nature. It helped nature organizations because of the biodiversity in their sites, they said. And energy suppliers could put the trees to good use in their combustion plants to generate renewable energy, they said. This was a win-win situation, which also left both of them with a considerable sum of (subsidy) money. However, public opinion was underestimated, which strongly opposed the large-scale felling of trees.

close cooperation
Anyone who thinks that this has brought an end to the close collaboration is wrong. Energy companies and nature organizations have come up with a new plan. The collaboration now focuses on converting farmland into solar parks. It benefits both parties, including subsidies. A large energy company shared its plan to buy agricultural land along nature reserves. Some of those farmers have to leave because of the nitrogen crisis. The aim is to transform these grounds into nature, and thus enlarge the nature reserve. But… the energy company first wants to temporarily exploit these grounds itself as a biodiverse solar park.

It's a nice deal. Not only for nature organizations and energy companies, but also for the government. There is still a considerable task to comply with the agreements in the climate agreement. By 2030, 32% of energy must come from renewable sources. In 2020, the Netherlands was at 11,1%. The great thing is that citizens pay a large part of the costs through their energy bills.

Aceing Farmland
Energy companies and nature organizations prey on farmland and make an alliance. And seize the biodiversity and nitrogen crisis for this. But why should energy companies be allowed to temporarily install solar panels on farmland next to a nature reserve and not the farmer himself? Farmers should also have that opportunity. There is a real chance that the nitrogen problem will be solved when the soil becomes 'free' again in roughly 20 years' time. It can then still be decided whether the land will be returned to agriculture or sold for nature.

Ghost Rotgers

Investigative journalist in the agricultural sector

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