To sustain human production and livelihoods, maintaining the stability of the earth’s climate system is fundamental. Therefore, urgent action is required to control the increases in global temperatures to reduce the risk of triggering climate tipping points as the climate changes. (1,2) Global energy-related CO2 emissions reached a new high of over 36.8 Gt in 2022, (3) so the decarbonization of the energy sector becomes particularly crucial. (4) Renewable energy serves as an effective measure to address climate change and mitigate associated challenges in that it produces significantly less greenhouse gas emissions than nonrenewable energy. (5) Nevertheless, climate change is simultaneously threatening the renewable energy potential. Almost all forms of renewable energy production are threatened by the effects of climate change. (6) For instance, under climate change, global wind energy resources are expected to decline, (7) and forecasts for a specific dam indicate a reduction in hydropower generation of 15%. (8) Under the worst climate change scenario, during the period of 2041–2100, the Earth is projected to experience a widespread decline in photovoltaic potential. (9) Therefore, despite the unprecedented growth of renewable energy, the necessity for the accelerated development of renewable energy persists under climate change conditions to achieve decarbonization goals and address climate-related concerns. (10,11)

Solar energy constitutes one of the most dynamic sectors within the renewable energy field, with photovoltaic power representing its primary application. (10) China is extensively and actively expanding photovoltaic power, with an installed capacity of 414 GW as of 2022, accounting for approximately 35% of the capacity worldwide. (12) At the same, a shift from the land-rich west of China toward the east, where energy demand and markets are well developed, is occurring. (13) There is still a need to deploy photovoltaic power stations (PVPSs) to achieve carbon neutrality in China and mitigate global climate change. (14) However, PVPSs may compete with other land-use types due to high land-use intensity. (13,15,16) Therefore, coastal tidal flats have been recognized as promising sites for PVPS installations, (17) because (1) coastal tidal flats cover an area of 12,049 km2 (18) and represent an abundant land resource, (2) the heat exchange induced by the tides helps to mitigate the adverse impact of temperature increases on the power generation efficiency, (19,20) and (3) can be operated without disrupting existing agricultural functions. (21)

In light of the fact that coastal tidal flat ecosystems face a range of threats worldwide, (22,23) it is especially relevant to understand how PVPSs on coastal tidal flats might impact threatened coastal tidal flat ecosystems, particularly on macrobenthic communities and sediment carbon storage. Macrobenthos, the primary biological group in benthic ecosystems in tidal flats, connect different trophic levels through feeding on lower trophic level organisms and detritus, and being consumed by higher trophic level organisms such as fish and birds. (24−27) Thus, they are critical components in the energy flow and nutrient cycling in tidal flat ecosystems...