The UK government is expected to table new Energy Bill amendments by the end of the month setting out the early closure of the Renewables Obligation to onshore wind from 1 April.
Energy minister Andrea Leadsom is thought likely to table the amendments within days of the Bill’s second reading in the Commons, which is scheduled for 18 January.
The second reading of the Bill was expected after last November’s recess but was delayed due to a heavy Parliamentary backlog.
As the Bill stands, there is nothing in the legislation regarding the RO after Labour amendments to withdraw clause 66 setting out its early closure was passed by the House of Lords on 21 October.
Trade bodies such as RenewableUK and British Wind are seeking changes to grace period criteria for extending RO eligibility from the official closure date of end-March 2016 to end- March 2017.
These include having in place a grid offer, planning permission and land rights by 18 June 2015.
In particular, the trade bodies want ‘planning permission’ to mean when a local authority resolves to consent a wind farm regardless of when Section 75 or Section 106 notices are issued.
Image: Little Cheyne Court onshore wind farm (RWE)
