Owen Thompson
Main Page: Owen Thompson (Scottish National Party - Midlothian)
Andrea Leadsom
Yes, my hon. Friend is exactly right. It is vital that local communities’ views are taken into account and, under this Government’s policy, they now will be.
Owen Thompson (Midlothian) (SNP)
8. What recent discussions she has had with representatives of the renewable energy industry on the future of that industry.
Mike Weir (Angus) (SNP)
17. What recent discussions she has had with representatives of the renewable energy industry on the future of that industry.
Andrea Leadsom
I have had the pleasure of meeting a number of representatives of the renewable energy industry in my new role. I am delighted to hear how the sector is thriving in the UK, with seriously good prospects for new, emerging technologies, including storage, on the horizon.
Owen Thompson
Following the comments of Keith Anderson, the chief executive of ScottishPower Renewables, that
“if you prematurely bring onshore wind to a halt you will end up costing consumers £2bn to £3bn”,
does the Minister share my concern that the Government’s headlong rush to scrap subsidies for onshore wind will hit the pockets of consumers hardest?
Andrea Leadsom
As we have explained, the early closure of the RO for onshore wind will save consumers money. The subsidies in their bills, which would have gone towards an excess of deployment above our target would have cost consumers hundreds of millions of pounds more.