DECC has retabled Energy Bill amendments setting out the early closure of the Renewables Obligation to onshore wind from 1 April.
Energy minister Andrea Leadsom has laid New Clause 1 before the House of Commons, which states no RO certificates are to be issued to new onshore wind farms in England, Wales and Scotland after 31 March.
Leadsom also tabled New Clause 2, which sets out a one-year extension for new onshore projects or additional capacity to accredit under the RO by 31 March 2017 if grid and/or radar delay conditions are met.
The clause also reintroduces grace period criteria in practical terms identical as moved last October by DECC minister Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth before the House of Lords.
These extend RO eligibility from the end-March 2016 closure date to end-March 2017 for projects with a grid offer, planning consent and access to land rights in place by 18 June 2015.
The measures were removed from the Energy Bill in the House of Lords last year after a Labour amendment withdrawing the government’s measures for early closure of the RO for onshore wind was passed on 21 October.
Meanwhile, New Clause 3 sets out measures to preventing an electricity supplier in England, Wales or Scotland from using a RO certificate issued in Northern Ireland to discharge its renewables obligation where the certificate was issued in respect of onshore wind power generated in Northern Ireland after 31 March 2016.
The government has yet to announce when the Energy Bill will move to the committee stage.
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