CPRE hosts expert panel on future of solar

CPRE brought together industry and environmental experts to explore how England can expand solar energy while protecting the countryside and supporting rural communities.

As part of our centenary year, we hosted the Clean Power Panel 2026 last week (Thursday, June 18), bringing together key voices from across the energy, planning and environmental sectors.

Chaired by Roger Mortlock, CPRE chief executive, and held under Chatham House rule, the roundtable explored how solar energy could be rolled out in ways that supported climate goals without causing unnecessary harm to rural England.

Representatives from the Solar Taskforce, Solar UK, the National Farmers Union, energy companies, planning and landscape experts and environmental organisations were in attendance.

Discussions focused on a range of pressing issues, including the progress of rooftop solar, what good ground-mounted solar development looked like, public support for renewable energy and whether the planning system was directing solar projects to the right locations.

The panel comes at a time of growing pressure on land. While we support action on climate change and the expansion of renewable energy, we have consistently argued that this should not come at the expense of the countryside. Through our rooftop solar campaign, we have called for greater use of existing roof space on homes, warehouses, commercial buildings and car parks, alongside more countryside-friendly approaches to ground-mounted solar.

Insights from the discussion will help inform ongoing work to influence government and ensure England can meet its clean-energy ambitions while protecting the landscapes, farmland and communities that make the countryside so special.