Today, after many months of delay, the government finally announced its detailed plans for the feed-in tariff. It is a huge disappointment for all of us who want to see communities taking control of their energy production.The announcement could have heralded a new age in British energy policy, where a large proportion of our energy is produced by individuals and communities through microgeneration, solar panels on the roofs of our schools and homes, small scale hydropower and wind.It is an approach that has had success in many countries around Europe, where feed-in tariffs have played a fundamental role in promoting renewable energy. In Germany, where feed-in tariffs have been around for years, the total installed solar capacity is around 200 times that of the UK. The Netherlands has 40% of its electricity demand met from decentralised energy.
Today, after many months of delay, the government finally announced its detailed plans for the feed-in tariff. It is a huge disappointment for all of us who want to see communities taking control of their energy production.
The announcement could have heralded a new age in British energy policy, where a large proportion of our energy is produced by individuals and communities through microgeneration, solar panels on the roofs of our schools and homes, small scale hydropower and wind.
It is an approach that has had success in many countries around Europe, where feed-in tariffs have played a fundamental role in promoting renewable energy. In Germany, where feed-in tariffs have been around for years, the total installed solar capacity is around 200 times that of the UK. The Netherlands has 40% of its electricity demand met from decentralised energy.
You won't get multiples more renewable energy projects just from small scale generation. In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes
It is a choice that Liberal Democrats wholeheartedly disagree with, as it removes choice from local communities. For years we have campaigned for more power to be devolved to a local level. In energy policy we want a future where communities and individuals are supported in producing their own clean and green renewable energy and for them to make their own choices about how they do this. This is why we campaigned for the original amendment to the 2008 Energy Act that introduced the feed-in tariff. It is why I wrote to Ed Miliband just last week asking him to announce a more ambitious scheme today. It is disappointing that the government has failed to fulfil the opportunity which feed-in tariffs presented. Now all of us who want an energy future that involves a serious commitment to renewables need to speak loudly and seek to persuade others to vote for candidates who share this vision in the coming election.
This is why we campaigned for the original amendment to the 2008 Energy Act that introduced the feed-in tariff. It is why I wrote to Ed Miliband just last week asking him to announce a more ambitious scheme today.
It is disappointing that the government has failed to fulfil the opportunity which feed-in tariffs presented. Now all of us who want an energy future that involves a serious commitment to renewables need to speak loudly and seek to persuade others to vote for candidates who share this vision in the coming election.
