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The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) has called on the UK government to renew its commitment to renewable energy and offshore renewables, as a consultation on the contracts for difference subsidy closes today (8 August).
The charity urged the government to continue support and extend its powers to fund renewable energy projects beyond 2020. It also highlighted the need to boost investor confidence in the UK as a good place to do business for renewables.
The consultation proposed an overhaul of the contracts for difference (CfD) scheme, which could mean projects looking to secure the subsidy would be forced to pay back any other state aid they have received prior to receipt of the CfD.
RSPB senior policy officer Melanie Coath said: “The RSPB is clear that continued government support for carefully-planned renewable energy into the 2020s is critical to the UK’s long-term energy strategy.
“There is also an exciting opportunity to be at the forefront of innovative technologies like floating wind turbines, if we seize the opportunity now, and make sure we invest in understanding the impacts of those technologies so they can be rolled out in harmony with nature.”
A recent report from the charity showed that there was major opportunity to develop renewable energy in deeper waters around the UK using innovative technologies like floating turbines to harness strong winds further offshore.
The change being proposed to the CfD scheme is to ensure it is compliant with EU state aid rules.
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