The Irish Solar Energy Association (ISEA) has welcomed the publication by the Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine on the relationship between solar energy and agriculture.
According to the ISEA, the report contains a series of “common sense” proposals that can make it easier for farmers to diversify into renewable energy.
Commenting following the publication of the report – tilted Solar Energy and the Irish Agriculture Sector – ISEA CEO Conall Bolger said: “The farming community is to often cast as a villain in the climate crisis conversation.
“Solar provides real opportunities for our farmers to play a positive part in Ireland’s climate action, generating new incomes while doing so. This report outlines several ways in which national policy could be changed to make it easier.
“With Ireland now committed to generating significant levels of solar electricity there will be many opportunities for farmers to lease land to solar developers. This will provide an additional revenue stream and crucially the land remains suitable for grazing,” he added.
According to Bolger, solar could utilise 25,000ac over the coming years.
“While this is a sizeable area, it is less than 0.2% of Ireland’s agricultural land, and less than half of the land currently occupied by golf courses,” he commented.
The ISEA CEO particularly welcomed the committee’s recommendation regarding restrictions put in place by the Capital Acquisition Tax (CAT).
He said: “Currently any farming family that leases more than half of its land for solar loses the CAT relief that allows for the inheritance of a family farm without significant tax bills.
“This is too big a risk for many farmers to consider and reduces the availability of land for solar. The committee has quite rightly recommended a review of this as an uncertainty barrier and we hope this will result in the Department of Finance eliminating this punitive measure without delay,” Bolger added.
He said that the proposal in the committee’s report to develop a scheme to assist farmers with the upfront costs of investing in solar would be welcome and would help farmers to engage more quickly.
Bolger complimented the members of the committee for their “diligence in engaging in the topic”. He called on the government to implement these proposals in full”.
“This report by the committee provides a blueprint to engage more farmers in generating clean green solar energy across the country. This can only have a positive impact on our environment and on our agriculture industry,” he added.