Farmers can earn from energy transition

The energy targets are clear: energy neutral by 2050. And some are even more ambitious. Only with offshore wind turbines and solar panels on all roofs we will not achieve this target.

It must therefore also take place in other places that currently have a different destination. The energy transition is therefore also a spatial task. Some agricultural land will also be used to speed up the energy transition. More and more farmers are discovering that it is simply possible to earn money with this.

Interesting offer
Last week I visited a befriended organic fruit grower. The fruit grower and his wife own 12 hectares of apples and pears. They have the best land in the region and a successful home shop. In short, a wonderful company. Initially, the conversation was about everyday things. The farmer's wife tentatively maneuvered the conversation towards ground-based solar parks. After some further questioning, the high word came out. They had received an offer from a solar park developer. I emphasized the success of their company several times, but the farmer's wife was visibly thinking. Logical: if you are already approaching 60, are working day and night with the company and have earned €3.500 per hectare in a good year. Then an offer from a developer of €4.000 per hectare (for which you do not have to do anything) gets you thinking.

Agricultural organizations are also struggling with this phenomenon. In the past, she largely advocated preserving farmland. The Netherlands must feed the world and for that other interests must be put aside, was the adage. However, there are more and more farmers who really want a wind turbine in their meadow. Or phasing out farmers who see a solar park as an alternative source of income. As individual farmers increasingly want to contribute to the energy transition, agricultural organizations must reconsider their position in order not to lose their supporters.

More support for solar farms
With the search for suitable locations by a select number of interests, sprawl is lurking. For the time being, there are also extremely suitable places such as former lay-out locations, rubbish dumps and over corners that qualify. But given the rapid rise in the number of initiatives and the immense tasking, obvious locations are quickly becoming scarce. Provinces and municipalities are starting to make policy, which is urgently needed because many uncertainties arise. Creating politically supported preconditions increases the chance that solar parks will also be located in socially accepted locations.

Regardless of the share of wind, sun or biomass you use: agricultural land will be sacrificed for the generation of sustainable energy. Entrepreneurs will individually choose whether they want to use land for the energy transition and accept an offer. But if suddenly a developer shows up with a bag of money worth € 4.000 hectares a year, then my guess is that many farmers will seize this opportunity.

Mark Hebing

Mark Heebing is a landscape designer and area developer. His blogs deal with land use in relation to contemporary developments. With his idiosyncratic view, he tries to give new twists to discussions.

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