Friends of the Earth confirm court action after Feed-in Tariff deadline passes
Campaign group Friends of the Earth are to go-ahead with planned court action in an attempt to block the December deadline for a cut in the Feed-in Tariff support for solar PV installations.
It is understood that the Department of Energy and Climate Change made contact with the organisation ahead of today’s 4pm time-limit but the Government response was deemed insufficient to avert the courtroom showdown.
The court papers will now be submitted early next week in an attempt to push back the December 12 cut-off for the higher rate of Feed-in Tariff.
A second court application is to be made by a consortium of solar panel companies and ClickGreen understands a third legal bid to defer the deadline is currently being prepared by a consumer group.
Friends of the Earth had written to Energy Minister Greg Barker on Monday asking for amendments to plans to impose lower feed-in tariff payments – cash given to households generating green electricity through solar panels – on any installations completed after 12 December this year.
The environmental campaigning charity claims this cut-off point, two weeks before the consultation ends, is unlawful and will lead to unfinished or planned projects being abandoned.
Friends of the Earth’s Policy and Campaigns Director Craig Bennett said tonight: “Ministers have failed to listen to our concerns about the legality of their plans to slash solar subsidies – we have now been left with no choice but to take the Government to court.
“Slashing payments to any scheme completed after 12 December will unfairly pull the plug on thousands of clean energy schemes across the UK, preventing homes and communities from escaping soaring fuel bills.
“Ministers have pulled the rug from under the feet of one of the few areas of the economy that is creating new jobs – and completely undermined business confidence in clean energy.”