The Scottish government is preparing to scrap rates relief for commercial renewable energy projects including onshore wind and solar.
A spokesman confirmed that changes will be made to the Renewable Energy Generation Relief Scheme, as first reported by the Herald newspaper today.
Community projects will not be impacted by the change.
“In 2010 we took action to protect the renewable energy sector, a fledgling sector, which saw signficant rates bill increases at the 2010 revaluation.
“Now that the sector has reached financial maturity, and given the challenging fiscal environment imposed by the UK government, we are taking sateps to target the relief to delivering benefit to schemes incorporating community ownership,” said the spokesman.
“The precise detail is still to be finalised. We will also review the position for renewables at the next rates revaluation in 2017 and as part of the draft budget have also committed to reviewing the wider business rates system,” he added.
Image: taxes will be going up for wind farms north of the border (reNEWS)
