Friends of the Earth is now urging the government to end the uncertainty hanging over the solar industry by coming up with a plan to safeguard around 30,000 jobs currently under threat from ministers’ plans.
The environmental campaigning charity is calling on the government to come up with a Plan B, including:
• Putting regulations before Parliament on Monday to enable solar tariff payments to be cut by the end of February – in a forward looking and planned way, in line with falling installation costs.
• Increasing the amount of money available to the scheme using the multi-million pound tax revenues generated by solar firms – this will safeguard the industry and enable more homes, businesses and communities to switch to clean energy.
Friends of the Earth policy and campaigns director, Craig Bennett said: “By pushing through with this appeal Ministers have prolonged the uncertainty hanging over the solar industry – now they must urgently come up with a Plan B to safeguard the 30,000 jobs under threat.
“David Cameron should put a proposal before Parliament on Monday to cut solar subsidy rates before the end of February – and give the industry some much-needed certainty.
“More money could easily be found to save solar from the multi-million pounds in tax that solar firms generate.
“Win or lose, the government must breathe life back into UK solar to help more cash-strapped families free themselves from soaring fuel bills by plugging into clean British energy.”