The UK government consultation on whether “devastating” cuts to the Feed in Tariff should go ahead will close today.
Industry has urged the renewables sector to “make their voice heard” if they haven’t already done so before the 11.45pm deadline tonight (Friday, October 23).
Greenpeace policy director Doug Parr said: “If this goes ahead the impact will be devastating, but right now, we’ve got a chance to push back.”
“The government cannot pretend cuts to subsidies for the nascent solar industry are necessary to save families money whilst throwing much more money at well-established technologies. The timing couldn’t be worse as the young and potentially booming solar industry is on track to go subsidy free but if these cuts happen, it will be too sudden, too soon and too dramatic and is likely to irrevocably damage the domestic solar industry losing thousands of jobs and millions in investment.
The UK government said it wants to maximise value for money to British electricity bill payers by “reducing FiT expenses”.
Yesterday accountants Baker Tilly warned that cuts to the FiT will cause “lasting damage.”
Regen SW chief executive Merlin Hyman added: “Renewable energy is a south west success story generating 15 per cent of our electricity and 13,000 jobs. The government proposed reforms will stop this progress in its tracks and cost thousands of jobs.”
Image: HelioSage energy
