Sun sets on green energy scheme
The government is considering a 5 kilowatt limit for its more generous feed-in tariffs for solar-generated electricity schemes. Cornwall's landowners had been hoping for a £1billion gold rush - but now the next wave of planning applications for large-scale projects might be the last. The 5KW limit is 100 times smaller than originally planned.
The Secretary of State for Energy Chris Huhne announced at the beginning of February that the Government was intending to carry out a fast track consultation on proposed changes to the tariff, which provides financial support for renewable electricity production at local level. Today's announcement of the timetable for the consultation means that Cornwall Council has just six weeks to persuade the Government to re-consider this proposal.
Julian German, the Council's cabinet member responsible for the green energy programme, says the Government is giving confusing messages to local councils:
"The Council has followed Government's guidelines which allow us to generate green electricity and then sell it. It is hard to believe that only six months after creating the legislation which allow us to take this route, they are now considering taking away the incentive that made it so financially viable. We are extremely disappointed that on one hand the Secretary of State announced that local authorities have the opportunity to generate and sell electricity from renewable technologies, and yet now, on the other hand, they are planning changes to the feed-in tariff which is central to the profitability of our plans to take up this opportunity."
I'm ´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio Devon’s Graham Smith, blogging on news, views and some fresh insights into West Country life, particularly the way government works locally and nationally.
Comment number 1.
At 19th Mar 2011, backofanenvelope wrote:Is the first tiny chink of realism on the green energy front? All this solar energy will cost the average Cornish consumer of electricity a small fortune. They should only go ahead if there is no subsidy. And the County Council shouldn't be involved outside the planning issues.
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Comment number 2.
At 19th Mar 2011, Tamar_Bouy wrote:First, the government set the level of tarriff to make it viable for a small user to install the system, they were stupid not to realise that big companies were going to try and step in and make a killing because they can make large installations so much cheaper - duh! But it is rediculous for a Council (effectively a government body by any other name) to cry foul if they cannot exploit a system for which they were never intended. At the end of the day this is paid for by the public, and should not be used so that large companies and organisations can make a financial killing. People must understand that!
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Comment number 3.
At 20th Mar 2011, AccurateChronometer wrote:Yet another misleading 'drama queen' headline from yourself, Mr Smith.
The sun has NOT set on the solar power 'green energy scheme'.
Chris Huhne realised - a little late in the day - that the corporate suits were diving in to hijack and divi up the monetary benefits and distribute them to their profiteering executives and shareholders.
Far better to review the situation and change the rules so that monetary gains recycle more directly for the benefit of householders, charities, community based entities and public services and the public benefit in general - the public are the premium FITS driven hiked electricity charge main payers after all.
It remains to be seen whether local authorities will retain access to FITS benefits - they should. In order to offset some of the massive LibDemCON Coalition government anti-social, anti-public-service, anti-community 'selling the family silver' privateering 'share it out amongst our corporate cronies' public service cuts.
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