The Great British Energy Act: Land, Power, and the New Politics of Transition

London, United Kingdom — “The energy transition isn’t just about carbon — it’s about who owns the land, who makes the decisions, and who benefits.”— Amira Cole, Land Justice UK

Solar and wind energy are among the most land-intensive energy systems (Photo by: Marcin Jucha)

The United Kingdom’s recently passed Great British Energy Act (2025) is being hailed as a historic pivot toward clean energy independence. But behind the headlines touting wind turbines and hydrogen hubs lies a quieter but critical question: Who controls the land needed for the transition?

The Act, which establishes Great British Energy (GBE) as a publicly owned clean energy developer, comes with sweeping powers to fast-track projects on both public and private land. While this may accelerate progress toward net-zero, it also reopens debates about property rights, local governance, and equitable access.

A New Era of Public Energy — With Land in the Crosshairs

Great British Energy is designed to be a national catalyst — building and operating wind farms, solar parks, and grid infrastructure across England, Scotland, and Wales. The company is backed by £8.3 billion in public investment and tasked with delivering clean, affordable, publicly owned energy.

To meet those goals, the Energy Act introduces expedited permitting processes, temporary land acquisitions, and powers of eminent domain for “strategic energy zones.” This puts farmland, moorland, and coastal commons directly in play.

“We’re seeing a 21st-century enclosure movement — this time in the name of climate,” warns Gareth Hughes, a legal advisor with the UK Land Alliance.

Farmers’ groups and landowners in East Anglia, Wales, and the Scottish Borders have voiced concern that their land could be acquired or leased without meaningful consultation — especially if they lack formal title or fall outside large estate structures.

The Just Transition Dilemma

The Act includes provisions for community benefit schemes, where locals can receive revenue shares or energy discounts from projects in their area. However, critics say these remain optional and poorly defined.

“This could be a moment of energy democracy — or just another case of decisions made in Westminster that alienate rural Britain,” says Dr. Fatima Amin, a political geographer at the University of Leeds.

In response, civil society coalitions — including Land in Common, the Scottish Community Alliance, and Energy4All — are pushing for new governance models such as co-ownership arrangements, commons-based land use systems, and stronger compensation and planning rights for local communities.

The Welsh Government has gone further, proposing a Community Energy Land Protocol, which would require developers to prove they’ve explored cooperative partnerships before acquiring land.

Energy vs. Agriculture vs. Affordability

A deeper fault line runs beneath the energy transition: the competition between climate infrastructure, food production, and affordable housing. With Britain facing a rural housing crisis and declining farm incomes, questions around land-use priorities are becoming increasingly urgent.

In Yorkshire, solar developers have clashed with councils over farmland zoning. In Cornwall, tenant farmers fear displacement by wind farm consortia.

A 2024 report by the UK Centre for Land Policy warned of “land scarcity bottlenecks” unless Parliament enacts comprehensive land reform to rebalance competing needs.

Beyond Britain: Global Implications

Observers note that the UK’s bold move could serve as a template or cautionary tale for other countries weighing public ownership against private property norms. South Africa, Canada, and Ireland are all considering similar models.

“This is a test case for green development without repeating the mistakes of top-down planning,” says Elodie Marchand, land-energy policy analyst at the OECD.