Tuscany debates agrivoltaic expansion and landscape protection

In Tuscany, the expansion of large-scale photovoltaic and agrivoltaic plants has sparked a debate regarding the protection of agricultural landscapes during the energy transition.

The Comitato Terre di Val di Cornia has expressed concerns over what it describes as increasing “energy speculation” and pressure from renewable energy and storage projects. The committee is calling on the municipalities of Piombino, San Vincenzo, Suvereto, Sassetta, and Campiglia Marittima to work with the Superintendency to identify rural areas deserving of greater landscape protection. They seek to use such designations as a tool to evaluate the compatibility of energy plants with agricultural and identity values.

Conversely, Legambiente argues that the climate and energy crises necessitate an acceleration of renewable energy deployment. The association views the opposition between landscape defense and new installations as unproductive, though it emphasizes that projects must be judged on quality, soil protection, biodiversity, and benefits to local communities.