PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Solar Power: Renewables Obligation (14 October 2015)

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether her Department took into account the global growth potential of solar energy in making its decision to end Government support for the UK solar sector.

Asked by:
Alison McGovern (Labour)

We are currently consulting on revised rates under the Feed-in Tariff scheme, and our proposal includes tariffs that would continue to provide a reasonable rate of return for the best sited solar PV projects.

We have additionally recently consulted on closing the Renewables Obligation to new solar PV projects of 5MW and below.

In both cases, the tariffs under consultation and the Impact Assessments have been conducted including analysis of the global cost trajectory of solar panels, and other materials in the solar supply chain.

The Impact Assessments for the FIT Review and RO Closure consultation can be found at:

FIT Review Consultation: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/consultation-on-a-review-of-the-feed-in-tariff-scheme;

RO Consultation: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/changes-to-financial-support-for-solar-pv.

Answered by:
Andrea Leadsom (Conservative)
19 October 2015