Further revisions to renewable energy subsidies which ensure bill payers get value for money
New measures to deal with the projected over-allocation of renewable energy subsidies have been announced recently, following recent consultations.
Renewable energy subsidies are paid for via energy bills through a number of schemes including the Feed-in Tariff scheme and Renewable Obligation scheme. Government decided on a set amount that would be paid to renewables by 2020 and earlier this year, the Office for Budget Responsibility projected that the amount would be exceeded, meaning bill payers would have to pay more. Government has since taken action to reduce this overspend which includes the announcements being made today.
Feed-in Tariff
The Feed-in Tariff is a scheme where you can be paid (the tariff) for the electricity you generate from solar, wind, hydro or Anaerobic Digestion power. This gets paid even if you use it yourself as well as for any surplus electricity you export to the grid.
In the Feed-in Tariff (FIT) review consultation we proposed updated tariffs for solar, wind and hydro power, and asked for industry and public feedback. Government has listened to that feedback and has announced revised tariffs, including a new tariff for domestic-scale solar of 4.39p /kwh.
The new Feed-in Tariff rates provide a sustainable return for anyone investing in small scale renewable technology that contributes to our energy mix without imposing unnecessary burdens on bill payers who subsidise the renewables industry.
On Feed-in Tariffs, Government has also announced:
Deployment caps will be set to limit new spending on the scheme to £100m up to the end of 2018/19
The reintroduction of pre-accreditation for solar PV and wind generators over 50kW and all hydro and anaerobic digestion generators
Measures to pause new applications to the FIT scheme from 15 January to 8 February, to allow time for the implementation of cost control measures
Renewable Obligation
The Renewables Obligation came into effect in 2002 in England and Wales, and Scotland, followed by Northern Ireland in 2005. It places an obligation on UK electricity suppliers to source an increasing proportion of the electricity they supply from renewable sources.
For the Renewable Obligation (RO) scheme for solar PV with a capacity at 5MW and below, Government has announced it will:
Close the RO across Great Britain to new solar PV capacity at 5MW and below from 1 April 2016
Introduce grace period arrangements to protect developers who made a significant financial commitment on or before 22 July 2015 and developers who experience grid delay beyond their control
Provide clarification of the planning evidence for the significant financial commitment grace period to exclude incomplete or invalid applications
Remove ‘grandfathering’ (a fixed rate of support from the date of accreditation) from 22 July 2015 for solar projects in England and Wales with an exception for those which meet the significant financial commitment criteria as of 22 July 2015
Hold a solar-specific banding review in England and Wales and consult on new bands for 2016/17
Consult on an exception designed to provide projects with protection against the proposed reduction in support where they qualify for the grandfathering exception.
Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, Amber Rudd, said:
My priority is to ensure energy bills for hardworking families and businesses are kept as low as possible whilst ensuring there is a sensible level of support for low carbon technologies that represent value for money.We have to get the balance right and I am clear that subsidies should be temporary, not part of a permanent business model. When the cost of technologies come down, so should the consumer-funded support.Government support has driven down the cost of renewable energy significantly. As costs continue to fall and we move towards sustainable electricity investment, it becomes easier for parts of the renewables industry to survive without large subsidies.
