"PARIS -- Europe's plans for a massive expansion of solar power are hitting an obstacle on the ground: regulations that preserve green space on the densely populated continent and aim to protect the heritage of the countryside.
In France, thick rulebooks restrict where solar farms can be built, resulting in years of delay before construction can begin. Local officials in Spain are trying to slow the spread of solar farms that they fear could scar the countryside. In Italy, developers must clear layers of bureaucracy and avoid ancient ruins to build solar farms in rural areas.
The European Union is relying heavily on solar power to hit its renewable energy targets and blunt the impact of Russia's natural-gas cutoff. The EU is aiming to get 45% of the bloc's energy supplies from renewable sources by 2030. The goal would more than triple its solar-power capacity by then, making it the continent's biggest source of electricity. Officials have been optimistic of reaching their goal in part because solar panels are less obtrusive than towering wind turbines, in theory rousing less opposition from the public.
Putting solar panels on roofs is the low-hanging fruit in that plan. But there aren't enough roofs in Europe to hit the bloc's targets. Officials and executives say many more solar parks on the ground are needed. The EU has proposed legislation that aims to accelerate permitting for all kinds of renewable energy projects, part of a sweeping effort to end Europe's dependence on Russian gas.
France, the EU's largest country by territory, is a weak link in the bloc's plan. French regulations have pushed solar development to previously industrialized land -- instead of green space -- allowing only those projects to sell power at a premium. That has sent developers hunting for a relatively limited number of factories, abandoned mines and other previously used land, sending the values of such properties soaring.
"The volumes of renewable energy are limited by this land," said Xavier Barbaro, chief executive of Neoen, one of France's largest solar-power developers. "Renewables in France won't expand unless the rules are loosened on farms and forests."
A climate law drafted by the government of President Emmanuel Macron aims to achieve net-zero loss of green space by 2050, and imposes new requirements on local authorities to limit development on such land. The law contains an exemption for solar farms, but developers must show that the project won't damage the soil or prevent it from being used for agricultural purposes.
Mr. Macron said last month that France needed to vastly expand its deployment of solar panels and called for more projects that would integrate panels into farmland. "We know it's feasible," he said, adding: "We must go much faster."
In Spain, public opposition is growing to the large number of solar farms under development. Mayors in Andalusia are protesting decisions by the national government to allow hundreds of solar farms to be built in a region renowned for its cultural sites, rolling countryside and agricultural products. In some cases, olive trees have been uprooted to make room for solar panels.
"We consider it necessary to establish areas of exclusion for the installation of large-scale renewable projects," the mayors wrote last week to the Andalusian Parliament. "A planned and rational process is urgently needed."
Bureaucracy is a challenge across the continent. Developers say the regional agencies that review solar park proposals are often understaffed. Neoen says that 40% of its French projects in the pipeline have been awaiting regulatory decisions from local authorities for more than two years.
In Italy, a project must first be approved by the national authority and then goes for regional approval where bids can easily be rejected, said Paolo Rocco Viscontini, the president of Italia Solare, a solar association. He said one major reason projects get stopped is because of proximity to ancient ruins.
"If they want to create problems it's easy to create problems in Italy with all the archaeological and cultural constraints," he said." [1]
1. World News: Solar Rollout Hits Hurdles in Rural Europe
Dalton, Matthew; Collins, Eliza.
Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y. [New York, N.Y]. 10 Oct 2022: A.10.
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