High Court rules solar cuts legally flawed, as Committee slams handling of FiT reduction

The High Court ruled on Thursday 22 December the government's proposed changes to feed-in tariff (FiT) rates for small-scale solar projects are "legally flawed". Environmental campaign group Friends of the Earth (FoE) and two solar industry members took legal action against the government for proposing to implement the rate reduction before the end of the statutory consultation on the issue. Following the decision climate change minister Greg Barker said the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) will be seeking an appeal. He said high tariffs for solar projects are "not sustainable" and changes still need to be made.
Meanwhile on Thursday 22 December the Energy and Climate Change Committee (ECCC) and the Environmental Audit Committee accused the government of "undermining confidence in energy policy and hurting the UK solar industry" by rushing through the changes. Committee Chair Tim Yeo said: "There is no question that solar subsidies needed to be urgently reduced, but the government has handled this clumsily." The report also criticised the government about its plans to require buildings to meet a C rated energy efficiency standard before they can receive solar FiTs, which could limit access and have a "fatal impact" on the industry.
Friends of the Earth     DECC     Committee