The huge expansion of solar farms across the Norfolk countryside may grind to a halt.
Ministers are understood to be changing the rules which would stop solar plants being built on large swathes of farmland.
Under the current system, local authorities are advised to avoid building solar panels on land classed as 'best and most versatile' (BMV).
BMV land is graded 1 to 3a but under the new plans land classed as 3b - currently a middle-to-low ranking - would also be protected.
If the rules had been in place in June this year it would have prevented Bloy's Grove, one of the country's biggest solar projects, being approved by South Norfolk Council.
The 200-acre scheme, which is set to power the nation's railways, is set to be built off Brick Kiln Lane, close to Mulbarton, and is mostly made up of category 3b land.
Ranil Jayawardena, the new environment secretary, is believed to oppose solar panels being placed on agricultural land because it impedes his programme of growth and boosting food production, according to reports from the Guardian.
Prime minister Liz Truss' official spokesperson seems to have backed up the reports.
They said: "[Ms Truss] said she doesn’t think we should be putting solar panels on productive agricultural lands, because obviously as well as the energy security issue, we face a food security issue. So we need to strike the right balance.”
Pressed on whether farmers should decide how to use their land or the government, the official said: “Of course, it is right that farmers who own farms decide how best to use it, and I think she was clear about that during the campaign.”
Norfolk has one of the highest concentrations of solar panels in the country. Under the former PM Boris Johnson, Norfolk was being looked at to generate five times more electricity from the sun by 2035.
Ministers said in April that Norfolk's size, geography and climate mean it is well suited to the expansion in the solar industry, as the UK aims to move away from oil and gas, and to boost renewable energy sources.
The latest figures, from 2020, showed there were a total of 21,103 solar plants in the county of varying size - from small-scale installations to vast farms covering several hectares.
Michael Rayner, planning campaigns consultant at countryside charity CPRE Norfolk, welcomed the proposals, calling it a "step forward in securing land for food production".
"Renewables can be extremely important but solar can be provided on roof space," said Mr Rayner. "Our research in 2014 showed there were 250,000 hectares available on south-facing commercial roofs. That doesn't include domestic houses.
"The government is taking the right step."
Mr Rayner said he believed businesses would take up the offer if subsidies and incentives matched those offered for farmland while farmers should be supported for producing food.
He also called for all new housing developments to be required to include solar panels.
John Fuller, the Conservative leader of South Norfolk Council, an area which has seen the majority of sun-powered development, said: "The war in Ukraine has caused a fundamental rethink about the balance between energy security and food security.
"Over-reliance on imports from scarce global stocks risks taking food from the mouths of developing countries.
"So we should not carelessly take good land out of production until we can be sure we are as self-sufficient in food as we can be."
The National Farming Union's deputy president, Tom Bradshaw, said: “Renewable energy production is a core part of the NFU’s net zero plan and solar projects often offer a good diversification option for farmers.
“However, there is a need to strike a balance between food security and climate ambitions. It is important that large-scale solar farm development is located on lower-quality agricultural land, avoiding the most productive and versatile soils."
Mr Bradshaw echoed CPRE's call to use roof space to deliver sustainable energy.
However, the move has been criticised by groups like the Green Alliance think tank and Labour's Ed Miliband, the shadow climate secretary.
Dustin Benton from the Green Alliance said it would be "odd" to define BMV land to include land not of high quality.
"The UK desperately needs to expand renewables so we don’t have to pay the extortionate cost of gas," he said.
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