REA questions new Government guidance on regional renewables targets

Peta Hodge

8th March 2010

The Renewable Energy Association (REA) has today questioned whether new Government guidance designed to help regional authorities assess their areas’ potential for renewable and low carbon energy, will do anything to help regions meet their renewable energy targets.

The guidance, issued by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) at the end of last week, aims to provide a more standardised approach to identifying which are likely to be the most appropriate areas for renewable energy projects.

DECC has provided detailed guidance on a range of renewables, including large and small scale onshore wind, biomass, hydro power and solar energy.

As well as looking at the availability of the natural resource and the technology available to harness it, the methodology also takes into account any physical and environmental constraints as well as planning and regulatory limitations.

Economic constraints – such as the cost of the technology, energy commodity prices and the cost of capital – are also considered, as is the maturity and capacity of the supply chain to deliver and deploy the technology.

Each region in England already has it’s own renewable energy target, though these will have to be reviewed as part of the new Regional Strategies which start on April 1 and are designed to provide a framework for sustainable economic growth, tackling climate change and contributing to sustainable development.

New guidance aims to help set ambitious regional renewables targets

The Government hopes its new guidance will help the regions set ambitious renewables targets as part of their Regional Strategies, in line with the UK’s overall target for 15 per cent renewable energy by 2020.

It will be up to the Regional Development Agencies (RDAs), together with new local leader’s boards, to deliver on the targets set.

“These new guidelines will help to ensure that in reviewing these targets, each is setting a target based on similar methods and assumptions and that the targets are in line with the UK's overall renewable ambition," said Energy Minister Lord Hunt on Friday.

The idea is that developers will be able use the methodology when working up project proposals.

But Gaynor Hartnell chief executive of the REA, today expressed doubt about the ability of the guidance actually to deliver more renewables in the regions.

Local authorities need to be "more positive" in decision making

While acknowledging the importance of regional authorities using the same assumptions and methodologies in assessing their regions’ renewable resources, she said local targets would only be met if local authorities were “more consistent, rapid and ultimately more positive” in their decision making on individual project proposals.

“If this process results in a cascading of ownership of targets, with local authorities buying into their achievement, all well and good. However it is not immediately apparent that this will necessarily be the outcome,” she said

The RDAs are currently looking at the guidance and have yet to make a comment on it.