Govt confirms FIT appeal
22 February 2012
The climate change department has confirmed it intends to appeal to the Supreme Court over the Court of Appeal’s solar feed-in tariff (FIT) decision.
Last month, the appeal court upheld a High Court ruling which had said efforts to halve the tariff for all installations from 12 December was “legally flawed”. The decision was in part because the date was 10 days before the consultation on the changes was due to end.Since then, the department has unveiled new proposals that will see the tariff halved from April, with further cuts to come into force later in the year.
Experts had hoped the new plans might bring an end to the legal proceedings, but a spokesperson for the department confirmed it had lodged an application to appeal to the Supreme Court.
“We want to see the available funding spread as far and wide as possible making FITs a scheme for the many not a scheme for the few, supporting sustainable jobs in solar and in a whole range of small scale renewables,” the spokesperson added.
Some critics have suggested the latest appeal may be little more than a delaying tactic, to reduce the risk of a flurry of installations obtaining the higher tariff until the government’s revised cut comes into force.
Those in the industry have complained that the legal action is only causing further uncertainty in the market.
