A Powys councillor has raised concerns about potential geoengineering experiments, warning that government-backed plans to "dim the sun" could have serious consequences for farming, energy production, and the environment in rural Wales.

Reform UK’s Cllr Iain McIntosh (Yscir with Honddu Isaf and Llanddew), has called on Powys County Council to oppose any local involvement in trials funded by the UK Government. The £50 million research programme, backed by the Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA), aims to investigate solar geoengineering as a potential response to the global climate crisis.

Previously planned programmes have proposed small-scale outdoor experiments to reflect sunlight back into space, using methods such as spraying reflective particles into the atmosphere or brightening clouds. Supporters of geoengineering argue it could temporarily cool the planet amid rising temperatures, but critics warn the long-term environmental impacts, including disruptions to weather patterns and agriculture, remain uncertain.

Cllr McIntosh warns that the geoengineering plans would “cripple solar energy production, wreck crop yields by disrupting photosynthesis, and poison our environment.”

He further called on the council to seek clarity from ARIA and other government bodies on the potential locations and impacts of the experiments. Cllr McIntosh also urged the council to push for Powys' exclusion from geoengineering trials, ensure transparent communication with locals, and work with environmental experts to assess the risks.

The Brecon & Radnor Express asked Powys County Council if it planned to formally respond to Cllr McIntosh’s concerns, if it was aware of any geoengineering activity in the region, and what its stance was on the issue.

A spokesperson for the council told the B&R: “The council has received questions from Cllr McIntosh on this subject. However, he has been advised to direct his questions to the UK Government as they relate to proposed actions by a UK Government agency.”