Farron Backs Move To Block Green Energy Cuts
Originally published by Tim Farron
South Lakeland MP Tim Farron has backed an attempt to overturn the government's decision to drastically cut Feed-In Tariffs to solar energy.
The Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Energy and Climate Change Lynne Featherstone has tabled a fatal motion in the House of Lords against the Government cuts to Feed-in Tariffs, which is due to be debated this afternoon.
Feed-in Tariffs help to support the solar industry and encourage companies to invest in solar. However, the government's staggering 65% cuts will shrink the industry by over half its size and put 19,000 jobs at risk nationally, according to the Government's own predictions.
Tim said: "The decision to slash Feed-In Tariffs for solar energy is a short-sighted move by the government which will prove damaging in the long run.
For both environmental and economic reasons, it makes sense to support the solar industry. Environmentally, it is a way of reducing our carbon emissions and producing green energy. From an economic perspective, green energy technology is a growing market and the UK has the opportunity to become a world leader in this sector, yet this will be jeopardised by the government's ideological determination to cut this support.
Here in South Lakeland, there are a number of companies that are involved in the solar energy business which will suffer as a result of these cuts. It is absurd that, so soon after the Paris Agreement at which the UK played a leading role, the government is determined to make cuts which will harm our ability to meet our climate change targets."