George Osborne’s budget contained a retrospective attack on the renewable energy sector by removing the exemption to the Climate Change Levy from renewable generators.
In other words, clean energy is now being taxed for their near-zero climate change contribution in the same way that fossil fuel generators have for their significant climate impacts.
Logic dispensed with, the Conservatives have hit the whole sector. Naturally the response from Gordon Edge of RenewableUK was strong and highly critical – a sentiment echoed by others in the sector:
“Yet again the Government is moving the goalposts, pushing some marginal projects from profit into loss. It’s another example of this Government’s unfair, illogical and obsessive attacks on renewables”.
Gordon Edge – not a fan of the budget announcement
Commenting on the budget, David Clubb said:
“The Conservatives are taking decisions which are illogical and entirely inconsistent with sustainability, economics or care for our future generations.
Once again, the renewable energy sector will consider the merits of leaving decisions on permitting and funding with politicians at Westminster, and may well conclude that greater devolution for the whole energy sector is the only rational response to such attacks.”