MPs back renewable energy ‘feed-in tariffs’
Published Friday, 17th October 2008
MPs and Lords have thrown their support behind an amendment to introduce a ‘feed in tariff’ to support smaller non-merchant renewable energy generation.
These tariffs pay people to generate green electricity and feed it back onto a the national grid, earning them a profit, helping them to pay for the set up costs of solar panels, turbines, groundwater heating systems and other sources.
A Friends of the Earth report said that 17 European countries have adopted a feed-in tariff system with considerable success. Driven by feed-in tariff legislation Germany generated 14.2 per cent of its electricity from renewable sources in 2007.
One of the backers is BBC eco-warrior Dick Strawbridge (pictured), the man with quite possibly the finest moustache on the planet. He said:
“Most people do not feel able to control their future, however if they become energy producers they future-proof themselves. As such, the amendment is needed now because a change in our attitudes to renewable energy does not happen overnight. We need people to realise that it makes sense and spending a little now could save them a lot over the lifetime of the system.”
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This is not news. The government and in particular a bunch of sound biting MPs choose to every now and again to pipe up about feed in tariffs. The truth is that the Energy White paper is far from recommending a feed in tariff as it effects the ‘economic balance’ for energy producers! The UK is way behind germany and it is without doubt because they introduced a feed in tariff but we are not going to follow suit. The UK governemnt has choosen to reduce CO2 by using tax payers money and not by making renewables affordable to the average jo.
Andrew