Feed-in Tariffs – Come on no half measures

In the government’s recent move to a more positive environmental attitude it is disappointing that the eventual amendment to the Energy Bill to allow Feed-in tariffs was so weak .

Feed-in tariffs are absolutely essential to encourage individuals and communities to get involved in generating renewable energy and selling this back to the national grid. Feed-in tariffs have been significant in enabling Germany to achieve over 14% of all energy generated coming from renewable sources (the UK currently produces about 2%).

Burradale Wind Farm Shetland Islands

I am a member of my local Transition Town movement and we are very keen to set up a community renewables project. For us to do this we must have clarity about what price we will get for the electricity we sell back to the national grid, this guaranteed price must be long-term in duration. The governments current amendment gives us no clear time-table for the implementation of this scheme and no confidence in it’s duration.

Come on the Climate Bill and the Energy Bill are hugely positive however steps forward and give us very positive leadership, however we have a massive change to if we are avoid dangerous climate change.

Let us have no half measures.

Friends of the Earth is calling on the Government to toughen up its amendment to include:

• Renewable schemes under 10 megawatts – a 10MW upper limit could work without damaging investor confidence in large scale renewable schemes which would continue to be covered by the existing Renewable Obligation.
• A duty on Government to introduce the scheme within one year
• The basic elements of a feed-in tariff – guaranteed contract length and an obligation on the government to set the tariff levels for different technologies.

For further background reading see also People-power a step closer in energy bill from the Guardian.

www.workofchange.co.uk

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