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Greg Barker: 'We will appeal court's decision on Feed-in Tariff cuts'





Posted by Editor on 22nd December 2011 at 11:53 AM
Greg Barker: 'We will appeal court's decision on Feed-in Tariff cuts'
Energy Minister Greg Barker says he "disagrees" with the High Court decision yesterday which ruled that his department's planned cuts to Feed-in Tariff (FIT) subsidies for solar panels was "legally flawed" and said the Government will appeal the decision.

The action was brought about by Friends of the Earth and two solar companies - Solarcentury and HomeSun.

They argued that the Department for Energy and Climate Change's (DECC) plan to slash tariff levels 11 days before the consultation had ended was unlawful.

The High Court ruling paves the way for a judicial review which could force the Government to re-issue the consultation delaying cuts to the programme, which pays people for the electricity they generate.

Mr Barker said: “We disagree with the Court’s decision. We will be seeking an appeal and hope to secure a hearing as soon as possible. Regardless of today’s outcome, the current high tariffs for solar PV are not sustainable and changes need to be made in order to protect the budget which is funded by consumers through their energy bills.”

The FIT scheme has led to the installation of more than 100,000 solar panel projects since its introduction in April 2010.

Friends of the Earth says the majority of the 27,000 new jobs the scheme has helped to create would be under threat if the cuts went ahead.


Source 24dash

Photo: Greg Barker MP, Minister of State for Energy and Climate Change



Report as offensive or innapropriate Comment by Pete Kilvert ( member )  22nd December 2011
So, Greg Barker does not like the High Court decision, which says that the DECC was wrong to axe solar subsidies. Well think again Mr Barker. Solar energy is REAL alternative Energy, and the Government SHOULD be supporting it. I suppose the Tories haven't got enough "mates" to benefit from solar energy subsidies. Unlike his support for burning BIOMASS which is neither clean nor Green. Burning biomass produces MORE carbon dioxide per unit of energy that COAL, yes Coal. Burning BIOMASS also produces fine Particulate Matter which will cause ill-health and disease. So, come on Mr Barker, you need to support true alternative energy like solar, wind and tidal, NOT dirty energy like burning BIOMASS.

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