UK Cuts Support for Wind Farms, Boosts Aid for Wave and Tidal Plants

The U.K. government cut support for onshore and offshore wind farms while boosting aid for wave and tidal plants under its Renewables Obligation, which compels electricity suppliers to get a proportion of their power from alternative energy.

Each megawatt-hour of electricity generated from onshore wind power will be rewarded with 0.9 tradable certificates, down from 1, the Department for Energy and Climate Change said today on its website. Offshore wind was cut to 1.9 from 2, while wave and tidal stream power were both boosted to 5 from 2.

The new levels will apply for projects built from April 2013, or April 2015 for offshore wind, and are aimed at ensuring the U.K. meets its European Union-mandated target of getting 15 percent of all energy for heat, power and transportation from renewables in 2020.

By Alex Morales and Sally Bakewell (bloomberg)

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Source: bloomberg, October 20, 2011; Image: infogreenglobal