RenewableUK is warning that the plans set out today by the Government for this year’s round of auctions for contracts to generate clean power (Contracts for Difference) will not maximise investment in wind, solar and tidal projects. 

RenewableUK’s Economics and Markets Manager Michael Chesser said: 
“Unfortunately, in the light of global inflationary pressures, the budget and parameters set for this year’s CfD auction are currently too low and too tight to unlock all the potential investment in wind, solar and tidal stream projects which the industry could deliver.

“Concerns about energy bills and energy security are at a record high, so the UK should be trying to maximise investment in low-cost clean energy, to provide relief for billpayers who’ve been hit hard by massive spikes in global gas prices over the past year.  

“At a time when the US and EU are bending over backwards to offer incentives for renewable energy developers to come to them to build new projects, the UK is sending the wrong investment signals. As a result, we risk losing vital opportunities to scale up our supply chains around the UK, denying communities the industrial-scale benefits which our sector offers. We’re also jeopardising our global lead in cutting-edge clean energy technologies like floating wind and tidal stream.

“We’re calling for the Government to revise the CfD budget so that we can stay on track to deliver on our renewable energy targets, as well as creating tens of thousands of high-quality green tech jobs and attracting billions in private investment in the years ahead”. 

KeyFacts Energy Industry Directory: RenewableUK