Energy Bill — Clause 79 — Onshore Wind Power — Delay Exclusion of Onshore Wind Contribition to Renewable Electricity Generation Requirements — 14 Mar 2016 at 17:30

The majority of MPs voted against delaying the exclusion of electricity generated by onshore wind turbines from suppliers' obligations to provide certain amounts of electricity generated by renewable means.

MPs were considering the Energy Bill.^[1]

The amendment rejected in this vote was:

• Amendment 24, page 46, line 20, leave out “31 March 2016” and insert “1 March 2017”

The amendment was accompanied by an explanatory statement:

• This amendment and amendments 25, 26, 40, 41, 42, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38 and 39 have the effect of closing the Renewables Obligation for onshore wind a month earlier than the original date set out in the Statutory Instrument: Renewables Obligation Closure Order 2014: 2388, rather than a year earlier, as the Bill does in its present form.

The rejected amendment would have impacted Clause 79^[2] of the Bill^[2], it would have changed the date in title of the clause which was left unchanged following this vote as: Onshore wind power: closure of renewables obligation on 31 March 2016.

The obligation referred to is that provided for in Section 32 of the Electricity Act 1989 titled: Obligation in connection with electricity from renewable sources. That provision enables the relevant Secretary of State to require electricity suppliers to provide certain amounts of electricity generated by using renewable sources during specified periods. The Renewables Obligation Order 2009 in England and Wales and similar legislation in Scotland and Northern Ireland requires the production of "Renewables Obligation Certificates" which relate to the amount of electricity generated from certain renewable technologies, with the amount per certificate varying by part of the UK and generation technology. (See Schedules to the The Renewables Obligation Order 2009).

Clause 79 of the Energy Bill^[2] prevents electricity generated by onshore wind generating stations from being counted towards a supplier's obligation provide a certain amount of electricity from renewable sources. Clause 80 provides for exceptions including generation by onshore wind generating stations accredited before 31 March 2016, transitional arrangements where unforeseen grid and/or radar problems occur of where financing arrangements are disrupted due to legislative uncertainty during the passage of this Bill.

• [1] Parliament's webpage on the Energy Bill
• [2] Clause 79 of the Energy Bill as at the time of the vote
• [3] Explanatory notes to the Energy Bill

Debate in Parliament | Source |