EU issues £1.9 million grant to Britain for PV and energy efficiency
The UK cities of Bristol and Plymouth and the county of Devon will get £1.9 million to develop energy efficiency, sustainability, and clean energy projects. Bristol in 2014 received a £50 million grant to accelerate its plans to be carbon neutral by 2050. Devon has ambitious plans of becoming 80% carbon neutral by the same date.
Industry offers cautious welcome as UK government guarantees export payments after all
The Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has proposed a replacement for the flat rate FIT payment regime that is hard to argue with, as it is linked to the actual amount of electricity exported back into the grid.
$126 million earmarked for small-scale RE in Africa
During COP24, U.K. Energy Minister Claire Perry announced that her government will increase its efforts to help bring clean energy to Sub-Saharan Africa. A total of $126 million will be channeled via the REPP platform, which has already realized 18 projects with a considerable number of beneficiaries.
UK policymakers signal U-turn on toxic tariff scrap plans
Rachel Reeves, Chair of the Committee for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), has released a comment indicating the discontent with which she views government plans to scrap export tariffs on 31 March 2019. The scheme remunerates small-scale generators, and its abolishment has been likened to theft and sparked a feud between the industry and politics. Last week, U.K. Energy Minister Claire Perry also said that forcing generators to export for free would be “wrong”.
