UK renewables support scheme "flawed"

The UK’s system for supporting renewable electricity - its renewables ‘obligation’ - is "fundamentally misconceived", according to a comparative study published last week by the Anglo-German Foundation.  Unlike the German system of fixed subsidy ‘feed-in’ tariffs, the UK system has failed to increase wind power capacity despite Britain having greater wind resources, and discriminates in favour of cheap technologies such as landfill gas projects, the report concludes.  The authors recommend capping support according to technology bands and output.  A reform of the scheme is already underway (EED 11/07/06).  See AGF press release and report.

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