Green Party leader Natalie Bennett has slammed the government’s decision to end subsidies for onshore wind farms, describing the Department of Energy and Climate Change’s defence of its policy as “laughable”.
Bennett said:
“The government’s plans to end subsidies for onshore wind farms are short-sighted and irrational. The Department of Energy and Climate Change’s statement that ‘we have enough onshore wind now’ is laughable given how badly the UK is lagging behind other EU nations in our production of renewable energy. This lack of ambition, typical of a government which has consistently shied away from taking real action on climate change, is disastrous for the UK’s renewables industry - which should be at the heart of government energy policy, not increasingly pushed to the margins.
“It is a sign of the skewed priorities of this government that it is determined to deny support to the sustainable sources of energy we most need to develop, while continuing to heavily subsidise oil, gas and coal companies through tax breaks. If we are to build an economy fit for the 21st century, it is vital that we invest in renewable energy: to tackle climate change, provide affordable energy for all who need it, and to create the skilled jobs the UK desperately needs.”