More than 150 hectares of Northumberland farmland is set to be given over to solar farms in a move that will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by thousands of tonnes a year.
Solar farms on agricultural land near Blyth and Bedlington were approved by members of Northumberland County Council's strategic planning committee on Tuesday.
Applicant Bluefield Renewable Energy Developments said the two farms would generate almost 49.9 MW of electricity each - enough to power 15,000 homes each. This would also provide a reduction of around 12,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually from each farm - the equivalent more than 5,000 cars a year.
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Managing director Jonathan Selwyn told councillors: "Solar needs to go on both buildings and on land. Sheep will be grazed on the land to keep it agricultural.
"There are sometimes concern about food security, but climate change is a bigger risk."
The Bedlington site lies on land East of Burnt House Farm on Netherton Road, and was the site of a former open-cast coal mine; the Blyth site will be on land north east of Low Horton Farm, and will be over former coal seams.
The solar panels will be in place for 40 years, before they are dismantled and the land is restored to agricultural use. The land on the site is mostly moderate quality agricultural land, with some good quality.
Coun Richard Dodd, who recently had solar panels for his own farm approved by the same committee, said: "They're fantastic. It has reduced my electricity bill by two-thirds.
"That's now - what is it going to be in the summer. It is the future, it is the way forward."
The plans for both sites were unanimously approved by councillors.
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