Labour has confirmed it will seek to improve rural grid connections to allow farmers to connect their renewable energy projects to the grid quicker.
At the Country Land and Business Association (CLA) conference, Labour's Shadow Defra Secretary Steve Reed promised to 'rewire Britain'.
He pledged to get pylons built quicker in rural areas and reduce the wait for farmers to plug their renewable energy into the grid 'from years to months'.
Farmers currently own or host up to 1,200 of the UK’s solar farms, generating around 10% of the country's energy needs.
However, farming businesses and renewable energy companies have to wait years to connect to the electricity grid.
YLEM Energy, an independent power generation specialist, welcomed the announcement, calling it 'encouraging' from Labour.
"Farmers currently generate around 10% of the UK’s energy needs, with this number set to grow in the years to come," said the firm's CEO Ian Gadsby.
However, he said that in many cases the grid was not up to the challenge in rural areas.
"[It] is in desperate need of upgrading if farmers are to help the UK meet its ambition to increase its solar output to 75GW by 2035.”
It comes as Labour is aiming to win over rural voters ahead of a general election, which is widely expected to be held next year.
Rural campaigners recently welcomed Labour's U-turn on its pledge to create a Scottish-style right to roam in the English countryside if elected.
However, a recent poll by the CLA revealed a lack of trust among rural voters over Labour – though many remain undecided as support for the Tories falls.
