Press release

Green light to solar legal challenge

15 December 2011

*** High resolution images of Friends of the Earth's action outside the High Court are available below ***

The High Court has given permission today (Thursday 15 December 2011) to Friends of the Earth and two solar companies - Solarcentury and HomeSun - to challenge Government plans to slash financial incentives for solar electricity. The Judicial review will be heard on Tuesday and Wednesday (20/21 December 2011) next week.

The legal challenges focus on Government plans to slash solar feed-in tariff subsidies - payments made to households and communities that generate green electricity through solar panels - on any installations completed after 12 December this year.

The Government is currently running a consultation into feed-in tariffs - but the 12 December cut-off point came two weeks before the consultation ends. Friends of the Earth says this premature decision is unlawful and has already led to unfinished or planned projects being abandoned.

Friends of the Earth's legal challenge to cuts in solar incentives is part of its Final Demand campaign, which calls for energy we can all afford and a public inquiry into the power and influence of the Big Six energy companies.

Friends of the Earth's Executive Director Andy Atkins said:

"We're delighted the High Court has given the go-ahead to our legal challenge - we believe Government plans to abruptly slash solar subsidies are not only unfair, but also illegal.

"These proposals have already had a disastrous impact on the solar industry - fledgling clean energy businesses have had the rug pulled from under their feet and a huge shadow hangs over tens of thousands of jobs.

"Ministers must change direction and help put the solar industry at the forefront of building a cleaner, safer future."

ENDS

Notes to editors:

1. Photographs of a Friends of the Earth action outside the High Court are available for free download. 

2. Friends of the Earth's legal challenge to cuts in solar incentives is part of its Final Demand campaign, which calls for energy we can all afford and a public inquiry into the power and influence of the Big Six energy companies. 

3.    More than 17,000 people have asked the Government to keep supporting clean British energy - join them now. 

3.    On Monday 31 October 2011 the Government launched a public consultation on plans to slash small-scale solar power subsidies by more than 50 per cent.  

4.       Friends of the Earth is calling on the Government to:

• Maintain existing tariff payments to all qualifying solar schemes completed by 1 April 2011
• Extend the consultation period.

5.            Today's oral hearing waq a re-application for a judicial review. The High Court rejected initial applications to challenge the Government last month [Friday 25 November 2011].

6.            Friends of the Earth isn't opposed to solar tariff payments being cut in line with the falling costs of installing solar panels - and it was always envisaged that payments would be reduced over time when we first campaigned for the scheme. But the environmental campaigning charity says the scale and sudden, unplanned nature of this cut will devastate the industry

 7.         The Government's decision to slash solar funding was described by the CBI as an 'own goal' last month (Thursday 10 November 2011):  

10.    Examples of solar energy projects that have either been scrapped or are in jeopardy are available from Friends of the Earth's press office.

If you're a journalist looking for press information please contact the Friends of the Earth media team on 020 7566 1649.

Published by Friends of the Earth Trust