High Court papers have been lodged in Belfast in a bid to challenge the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment’s (DETI) Northern Ireland Renewables Obligation closure consultation.
In a statement released today, Simple Power and the Ulster Farmers’ Union confirmed that they are jointly seeking leave to launch a judicial review.
Earlier this year, DETI held a two-week consultation over its decision to fall into line with the UK government’s onshore wind policy by closing the NIRO in April 2016, a year earlier than initially planned.
Simple Power said the legal action focuses on the “handling of the consultation process” after “substantial industry-wide complaints” were made about the impact the NIRO closure would have on small-scale wind developers.
“In launching proceedings, the organisations also expressed their concern about the decision to treat large-scale and small-scale wind energy generators in the same way for the purposes of closing the NIRO, despite key technical and commercial differences between these forms of renewable energy generation,” the statement added.
Image: Morgue File
Belfast challenged on RO
Court papers filed over N Ireland's decision to fall in line with London
By EBS