Opposition To DECC Gets Deeper And Broader
IKEA, the NFU, the Big 6 energy companies, Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth and a multitude of community groups have called on Amber Rudd, Secretary of State to abolish DECC's savage feed-in tariff consultation. Their statement reads: "If the current proposals are implemented, analysis based on your Department's figures shows more than 20,000 people could lose their jobs. Your own analysis shows nearly a million fewer homeowners, social housing providers, businesses, community groups, local authorities and farmers will be able to join the "solar revolution" you called for just four months ago."
"78% of the British public want Government to enable investment in local renewables. The published proposals do the opposite."
This is on top of Boris Johnson expressing his deep concerns over the proposals. During question time with the Mayor, Johnson was asked by Green Party assembly member Jenny Jones whether or not he was examining the potential impact the cuts would have on solar deployment in London.
He responded by stating his concern for the industry and said his department was "doing what we can do" to understand the potential impacts more by talking to solar's administrative bodies. He has vowed to "throw his toys out of the pram" if the proposals place London's renewables commitments at risk.
"We need to understand the implications"¦ London has made progress and we can't see it go backwards"¦ I will stick up for London and its environment," Johnson added.
EY's report on the future of renewables in the UK has criticised the government for its lack of strategy and for undermining investor confidence: "After experiencing what seems to be death by a thousand cuts, the UK renewables sector is trying to make sense of the Government's latest inconsistent actions.
At best this may be misguided short-term politics obstructing long-term policy. At worst, however, it's policy-making in a vacuum, with no rationale or clear intent.
