The government’s Smart Export Guarantee (SEG), its eagerly awaited replacement for the soon-to-close export tariff, has been dubbed both a “new era” for solar and a “mountain to climb” as the proposals received a mixed response.
The government has backed the scheme to be transitional for the small-scale renewables sector. Claire Perry, the government’s energy and clean growth minister, said the scheme could help “build a bridge” to the smart energy system of the future, simultaneously placing consumers “firmly at its heart”.
“It could also reduce strain on energy networks with a more decentralised and smarter local network delivering resilience much more cost-effectively, unlocking innovative products for electric vehicles and home energy storage; a win-win for consumers and the environment and a key part of our modern Industrial Strategy,” she said.
On a similar tack, the Renewable Energy Association’s James Court said the scheme could “usher in a new era” for small-scale renewables, remarking how the trade body had strongly supported the implementation of a market-based solution.
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But perhaps the most stinging criticism of the proposals came from the shadow cabinet. Rebecca Long Bailey, Labour’s shadow business minister, said that in ending the export tariff without a ready-made replacement, the government was “pushing an already struggling solar industry off a cliff edge”.
“These proposals – which are unlikely to be in place by the time the export tariff closes – present a new mountain for small-scale renewable energy to climb.”
Read more: Solar Power Portal