Government slashes funding for local solar power13 June 2011
The Government has slashed financial support for green energy. Cuts will stop local solar projects like those on schools, hospitals, local businesses and housing estates from going ahead.
A huge success...
The support for solar is part of the feed-in tariff scheme introduced last year following campaigning by Friends of the Earth and the Renewable Energy Association.
The feed-in tariff pays people to generate their own green energy from, for example, solar panels or community wind turbines.
Since the scheme started in April 2010:
- There have been 40 000 new green energy projects
- 7000 new jobs have been created;
- Scores of new community energy schemes have sprung up across the country.
...Stopped in its tracks
The cuts are due to come in on 1 August. Already they've had a devastating impact on jobs, local projects and wider investment in renewables.
"It's infuriating that just as we're about to launch our first scheme that's in line with Greg Barker's Big Society ambition, we're hit by this lack of vision at the top which totally scuppers the plans of many community groups across the UK."
Chris Rowland, Managing Director of community energy group OVESCo
This u-turn on supporting community energy further undermines the Government's promise to be the greenest ever.
Falling behind
The Government says it needs to cut the scheme because too many projects were going to go ahead.
But the UK is still languishing at the bottom of the European green energy league table. Germany installed more solar last year than the UK plans to this decade.
Save our solar
We'll be fighting to make sure community energy is properly supported.
Watch this space for action you can take in the next few days.
Tell us
Let us know about community energy projects in your area. We can use them to show the potential of local green energy and fight to keep support for them. Email stories@foe.co.uk
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