Renewable Energy Association
Press Release
25 January 2012
Immediate Release

DECC Appeal defeat must draw a line under the FITs fiasco

REA Chief Executive Gaynor Hartnell comments on the outcome of DECC’s FITs Appeal

DECC has lost its appeal against December’s Judicial Review, meaning that it has to resort to its Plan B, announced last week, and cannot effect its cut to the Feed-in Tariff (FIT) – from 43.3p to 21p – until 3rd March. That is, unless Government does take its appeal to the Supreme Court.

The REA is calling on all parties to now draw a line under the affair and allow the UK solar industry to get back to business. As long as DECC makes no further appeal, installers will at last be able to give customers prices with absolute certainty, and get back to business. REA [1] Chief Executive Gaynor Hartnell comments:

“The Government’s action and the subsequent court case had together thrown the solar industry into a state of extreme uncertainty, which was most regrettable. We now want to put this behind us as swiftly as possible, and work with Government and supporters to secure a larger budget for small scale renewable energy generation.”

Other commentators have expressed the concern that if the Government had won its Appeal, a precedent would have been set to allow the Government to make retrospective policy changes in future, such as reducing payments to renewable energy producers after they had commissioned their projects. Gaynor Hartnell concludes:

“In reality, Government is well aware that it would be incredibly unwise to reduce payments to renewable energy producers after they had commissioned their projects, as it knows what immense damage that would do.”

ENDS

For further information or to request an interview, please contact:

REA switchboard: 020 7925 3570, or

Name: Gaynor Hartnell
Title: Chief Executive, REA
Tel: 07870 629575

Name: Leonie Greene
Title: Head of External Affairs, REA
Tel: 07932 720091

Notes to Editors

1. The Renewable Energy Association represents renewable energy producers and promotes the use of all forms of renewable energy in the UK across power, heat, transport and renewable gas. It is the largest renewable trade association in the UK, with 960 members, ranging from major multinationals to sole traders.

Further Information:

• 120125FITSJRAppealOutcomeREA FINAL (0.19 MB)