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Decc must ‘do more’ to boost hydropower

The British Hydropower Association (BHA) has urged the government to do more to encourage the development of hydropower, as support for the technology wavers.

The Department of Energy and Climate Change (Decc) has called a high level summit with industry representatives on 27 April to discuss the impact of recent policy changes, including the reduction of feed-in tariffs, on the development of hydropower.

BHA chief executive Simon Hamlyn told Utility Week: “The meeting with Decc is to discuss whether the policy since the end of the consultation is working, and whether it is doing what they actually want it to do in terms of encouraging further development – which it isn’t.

“Our view is that they’ve got it wrong and this is the first step in discussing with them what can be done to put it right.”

The government announced changes following a review of FiTs in December 2015 which saw support for hydro schemes cut, with the tariffs available to hydro in the 100-500kW band being slashed from 9.78p to 6.14p per kWh.

“They never really clarified the purpose behind the cuts which they say are to relieve pressure from consumer bills. We are not exactly clear what the actual cost of this is to consumers so we feel slightly betrayed that they have gone down the route they have done,” Hamlyn said.

Read Utility Week’s analysis on the future of hydropower here.