Renewables targets in doubt as anti-wind Tories plan Brexit vote

Re-elected Prime Minister David Cameron has thrown the UK’s binding EU renewables targets into further doubt, pledging to deliver an in-out EU referendum by the end of 2017 following a successful election campaign in which his party vowed to cut onshore wind subsidies.

Cameron’s Conservative Party stormed to a shock victory in what was predicted to be a closely run race to Downing Street, telling the assembled press early Friday afternoon that he would form a majority government committed to a referendum on whether the country should remain a part of the EU.

The party has already pledged to “halt the spread” of onshore wind despite binding EU targets to meet 15 per cent of energy demand from renewable sources by the end of the decade. But the possibility of leaving the EU is set to deepen industry concerns over the government’s commitment to these targets.

Wind and wave power trade body Renewable UK blasted the Tories’ manifesto pledge to end onshore wind power support ahead of the election, saying the pledge unwisely turns its back on the “significant contribution” made by wind power to the economy and the electricity system.

The UK currently has around 12GW of installed wind power capacity of which 8GW is located onshore, contributing over £1.5 billion to the UK economy last year and providing around 10 per cent of the UK’s electricity use.

The trade body’s chief executive, Maria McCaffery on Friday called on the new government to “confirm the importance” of onshore wind, and also urged a 2030 decarbonisation target to support the drive to cleaner generation.

“For the renewable energy sector as a whole, the most important signal that the government could send to show that it’s serious about cleaning up the way we generate electricity would be to set a clear 2030 decarbonisation target to provide long term certainty. This would attract the investment needed for growth,” McCaffery said.