The government consultation is now closed, with a final decision expected in the next few weeks. But the Solar Trade Association is asking for a total of £95m over the next three years to fund higher tariffs than those proposed by government, with more flexible deployment caps.
According to the STA, the plan would only add £1 to consumer energy bills but would generate enough clean energy in the next three years to power 875,000 homes. It would also help avoid the drop in investor confidence and redundancies being made as a result of proposed cuts.
The £1 plan has already attracted the support of 30 MPs from all parties.
“The emergency plan represents a compromise agreement which, given the current crisis, aims to find a way forward that is acceptable for both the government and solar industry,” said Leonie Greene, head of external affairs at the STA.
“Solar is close to grid parity, but it is not there yet. The government’s 98 percent cut in the overall budget for solar would derail the industry at the last hurdle and waste the millions of public investment to date.”