NEWS
DECC to launch Supreme Court..
21/2/2012
Uncertainty around the feed-in-tariff is set to continue as it has been reported that the government are ready to lodge a Supreme Court appeal against two court rulings that deemed the cuts to solar incentives as illegal.
Today was the deadline day for the government to submit their application to the Supreme Court and it is now being reported that they will follow this up in order to ensure it can impose cuts to the feed-in-tariff for solar PV installations after December 12th 2011.
Last month, three High Court judges concluded that the government’s plans to cut the solar incentive scheme retrospectively would be unlawful.
Following the resignation of former Energy and Climate Change minister Chris Huhne, it was expected that his replacement, Ed Davey, would reverse the decision to continue with the appeal. Industry leaders have expressed their disappointment that he has chosen to continue.
Jeremy Leggett, chairman of SolarCentury, claimed that the Government was unlikely to win the appeal.
"We have been expecting this but we hoped that Ed Davey would see sense and not take the appeal," he said. "If we are lucky this is just a cynical exercise to limit the market to 3 March and they will withdraw in a few weeks.
"If not, and they really are serious about a Supreme Court appeal, then the implications for the renewables industry are deeply worrying.
"Fortunately their arguments are weak. They are the same ones unanimously rejected by the Court of Appeal so I wouldn't give them much chance of success."
DECC failed to respond to a request for comment at the time of going to press.
For further updates on the feed-in-tariff and the court activities, please keep an eye on our FIT updates page.
