The Government are proposing to make drastic changes to the feed-in -tariff subsidies to the renewable energy industry. The announcement about these proposed changes has sent shock waves through the renewable energy industry and particularly the solar industry. The impact of the proposed changes if they are not changed as a result of the responses to the consultation will be devastating to the solar industry and community energy.

Sustainable Crediton's response can be read here. Thanks to Molly Scott-Cato Green Party MEP for allowing her response to be used as a basis for our response. Also to the Solar Trade Association and Community Energy England for providing detailed reports to include as evidence of the potential impacts on the trade and community energy.

You have until 23rd October at 11:45pm to respond. There are a variety of ways to respond:

Via Greenpeace website  (easy)

Via 38 Degrees website  (easy)

Via the Government's website for the full consultation (complicated)

The full consultation document

Or email your comments directly to FITreview@decc.gsi.gov.uk (easy)

STOP PRESS

The Treasury has just stated that community energy projects will be excluded from the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS)/Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS) from 30 November 2015. They have further stated that community energy schemes will be excluded from Social Investment Tax Relief (SITR), reversing the governments' previous statement in March 2015.
 
These announcements mean that community energy organisations which benefit from subsidies for the generation of renewable energy will no longer be eligible for any tax-advantaged investment for investment made on or after 30 November 2015.

This announcement is a further nail in community energy's coffin.