UK campaigners urge govt to protect solar power sector

(SeeNews) – Dec 14, 2011 – Participants in the Cut Don’t Kill campaign yesterday delivered a letter to the UK government asking ministers to take urgent steps to secure the future of the solar industry after the feed-in tariffs (FiTs) for solar installations were cut on Monday, ClickGreen said on Tuesday.

The letter calls on the government not to destroy the solar sector, noting the number of jobs the industry is providing and that the industry will generate GBP 276 million (USD 428m/EUR 328m) for the state coffers in value added tax and employment taxes this year.

The letter, with some 200 signatures, was delivered by Solar Trade Association's chairman Howard Johns, Solarcentury's chairman Jeremy Leggett, Gaynor Hartnell, chief executive of the Renewable Energy Association, and Andrew Pendleton, at the helm of campaigns for Friends of the Earth.

The campaigners got backing from a number of MPs, including shadow secretary of state for energy and climate change Caroline Flint, Green Party's leader Caroline Lucas, shadow energy minister Tom Greatrex and shadow climate change minister Luciana Berger.

(GBP 1.0 = USD 1.550/EUR 1.189)

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