Cross-party MSPs have signed a motion laid at the Scottish Parliament which
“condemns” the announcement to close the renewables obligation from April
next year.
It claims the move was taken without consulting the renewables industry or
the Scottish Government and would put an estimated 5,400 jobs and £3billion
in investment in danger.
The motion lodged by Highland and islands SNP MSP Mike Mackenzie has been
signed by Liberal Democrat MSP for Orkney Liam McArthur and independent MSP
John Finnie, who is a member of the Scottish Green Party.
By contrast, anti-windfarm campaigners are delighted that the
Conservatives, which have one MP in Scotland, are delivering on a general
election manifesto pledge.
Graham Lang, chairman of pressure group Scotland Against Spin, said
communities “besieged by subsidy-chasers” could now look forward to some
respite because “every proposal created more opposition”.
Energy and Climate Change Secretary Amber Rudd has said the government
wanted to cut carbon emissions by fostering enterprise, competition,
opportunity and growth.
“We want to help technologies stand on their own two feet, not encourage a
reliance on public subsidies,” she added.
The UK Government has said up to 5.2GW of onshore wind capacity could be
eligible for grace periods which would be offered to projects that already
have planning consent, a grid connection offer and acceptance, as well as
evidence of land rights.
The Holyrood motion said that subsidies were “vital” to meeting Scotland’s
target of generating 100% of electricity from renewables by 2020 and
tackling climate change.
It claimed the subsidy decision could potentially cost consumers £2billion
to £3billion in more expensive replacement low-carbon power generation.
Mr Mackenzie said: “I am very pleased that this motion now has cross-party
support, allowing us to send a loud and clear message to the UK Government
that their irresponsible, unfair decision is completely unacceptable.”
Labour MSPs have signed a similar motion of condemnation lodged by
north-east MSP Lewis Macdonald.
A spokesman for the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change said: “Bills
won’t rise because of this change because we control the clean energy costs
that go on people’s bills.
“We have enough onshore wind now – including projects that have planning
permission, we have as much as we’d projected.
“If we’d allowed the renewables obligation to stay open longer, we could
have ended up with more projects than we can afford – which would have led
to either higher bills, or other renewable technologies losing out on support.”
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