Renewables Obligation extended

The wind industry has welcomed the UK government's decision to extend the horizon of the Renewables Obligation (RO) to 2037. In his pre-budget report, Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling said that energy companies would be required to source a proportion of their power from green sources under the RO legislation for an additional ten years beyond the current 2027 cut-off. This will underpin investor confidence in renewables, he said. The British Wind Energy Association (BWEA) says the move will particularly help Round 3 offshore projects. The BWEA has for some time been asking the government to reiterate its commitment to the RO beyond 2027, says the association's Maria McCaffery. Without the extension, any Round 3 projects coming online from 2015 would be covered by the RO for only the first half of their projected life cycle, she explains. "This extension to the RO will bring long term stability and encourage developers to continue with the building program."