Building Product News

26 January 2012   15:28 by Solar Trade Association

STA responds to DECC’s FITs Judicial Review appeal outcome

STA Chairman Howard Johns 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 DECC takes its appeal to the Supreme Court.

The STA is calling for a line to be drawn under the affair to 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. STA [1] Chairman Howard Johns comments:

“Hopefully today’s result will draw this episode to a close, and mean that one of the only growing sectors in the UK can get back to work. The Government’s appeal against the original ruling has created huge uncertainty for the thousands of small businesses in the sector, and we sincerely hope that the Government chooses not to take this further by appealing against this result”

Investor confidence in the renewables sector, which is crucial if we are to meet our 2020 renewables targets, is dependent on the financial incentives Government has put in place, of which the Feed-in Tariff is one very important example, alongside the Renewables Obligation and the Renewable Heat Incentive. Howard Johns concludes:

“The handling of the Feed-in Tariff review has thrown the sector into turmoil and caused thousands of job losses. It is essential now that Ministers address the budgetary issues, remove other unnecessary barriers, and work with industry to put this scheme back on a sustainable footing so that confidence can be restored.”

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