With the UK’s main political parties preparing to unveil their respective election manifestos, the Renewable Energy Association (REA) has unveiled its own equivalent on behalf of the UK’s green economy. Unveiled by REA chief Nina Skorupska at today’s All-Energy conference, the ‘manifesto for growth’ centres on three key industry-level recommendations before narrowing into policy asks for specific sectors. It calls on the next government to first and foremost recommit support for the Climate Change Act and upcoming carbon budgets, followed by the publishing of a comprehensive Clean Growth Plan before this year’s autumn budget. The Clean Growth Plan – formally known as the Emissions Reduction Plan – is now more than five months late having originally been mandated for release prior to the end of 2016. Ministers have continually pushed its publication back citing the need to consult further with industry. Proposals specific to solar in the UK include a commitment for annual Contracts for Difference auctions that do not exclude established ‘pot one’ technologies such as solar and onshore wind, and further support for decentralised on-site renewables. This, the REA sets out, could take the shape of supportive taxation and regulatory regimes or extensions to the feed-in tariff to grow regional and community-level economies.
Solar Power Portal 11th May 2017 read more »
A leaked version of Labour’s prospective 2017 election manifesto includes an ambitious 60% renewable energy target as well as a host of other initiatives which could support solar. The document – confirmed to be a draft version of the manifesto set to be discussed by Labour’s shadow cabinet today – includes the text that Labour wants to ensure that 60% of the UK’s energy comes from “low or renewable sources” by 2030. Labour is not commenting on the leak, however it will be important for the party to distinguish whether it strictly means ‘energy’ – which would incorporate electricity, heat and transport – or if the 60% target is only relevant to the UK’s electricity demand. An all-encompassing energy target of 60% by 2030 would be hugely ambitious given the country’s notable struggles in decarbonising transport and heat in particular. The country is all but certain to miss its 2020 target of 15% from renewable sources, but does look set to meet its 30% electricity target for the same period.
Solar Power Portal 11th May 2017 read more »