renewable energy- solar and tidal power

Dear Carl,

Thank you for your e-mail concerning Renewable Energy.

Renewable energy is an important part of the Government's strategy for
delivering our climate and energy goals and will play a crucial role in
moving to a low carbon economy.

We are committed to meeting our share of the 20% EU renewable energy
target. The proposed 2020 renewable energy target is a major challenge,
not only for the UK but for the EU as a whole. It will involve
difficult decisions and significant costs in the medium term. However,
we are determined to meet this challenge. As a first stage, in June,
the Prime Minister launched a comprehensive consultation on how the UK
target can be effectively delivered. The consultation document can be
found at http://renewableconsultation.berr.gov.uk/.

Claims that the UK is attempting to make changes to the proposal that
would undermine domestic achievement of the target are simply not true.
Quite the opposite is in fact the case. The changes we are seeking to
the draft directive would encourage the deployment of renewables, and
help ensure that the UK target can be delivered in a credible and
cost-effective way. This can only be achieved if the directive contains
sufficient flexibility. Each Member State is faced with its own
particular market structures, resources and renewable energy potentials
and needs to meet its targets in the manner that best suits its
circumstances - the directive should allow for this.

You have raised a number of specific points. The draft directive, as
proposed by the Commission, allows renewable energy produced outside the
EU to count towards Member State targets, provided that the energy is
consumed in the EU and is produced by a new installation. Whilst we
will be ensuring that we maximise the opportunities for deploying
renewables in the UK, the UK will not be pressing for any relaxation to
these conditions, which ensure that any electricity which qualifies
under this provision will be additional to current levels of renewable
energy generation.

The Government also supports the "large projects clause", which allows
exceptionally large projects to count - in part - towards the 2020
renewables target, even if they are not complete in 2020. Such large
and innovative projects will need to be incentivised - not only to meet
the 2020 targets but also if we are to meet the much stricter emissions
reductions needed in the years ahead. The 2020 renewable energy target
is not an end in itself, rather a vital stepping stone to meeting 2050
carbon and energy goals.

Finally, in relation to grid access for renewables, we believe that
retaining the discretion to prioritise generation from renewable sources
is more effective in securing new renewable generation than mandating
such access. UK renewable developers have said that their priority is
quicker grid access in line with the development timetables of their
projects. In the UK our focus has been on supporting the timely
connection of all essential new generation.

The recently published Transmission Access Review - undertaken by the
Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and the
industry regulator, OFGEM, working with industry - is implementing
revised grid access arrangements that will give a firm connection date
reasonably consistent with the development time of individual projects.
We expect these arrangements to deliver much speedier access for
renewables, consistent with the objectives of priority access, but
without limiting the connection opportunities for other essential
generation.

The UK is working hard for a strong, robust and credible directive. I
agree that such a directive can kick-start an energy revolution, not
just in the UK, but across the whole EU and, by setting an example,
across the world. Our own analysis suggests that the expansion in
renewable energy in the UK has the potential to generate significant new
jobs in the sector by 2020, and provide a clean and secure supply of
energy for the future.

I hope this is helpful.

Kind regards,
David
BERR Ministerial Correspondence and Enquiry Unit
020 7215 5000

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