Government to appeal judge’s decision over solar panel subsidies
Energy Secretary Chris Huhne wants to reduce feed-in tariff subsidies (FITs) - payments made to households and communities that generate green electricity through solar panels - on any installations completed after 12 December last year.
Just before Christmas a judge ruled that the minister was “proposing to make an unlawful decision”.
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Hide AdMr Justice Mitting’s decision was a victory for environmental campaigners Friends of the Earth (FoE) and two solar companies - Solarcentury and HomeSun - who said the plans to halve subsidies were creating “huge economic uncertainty”.
FoE executive director Andy Atkins said the government’s proposed cuts had “cast a huge shadow over the solar industry, jeopardising thousands of jobs”.
But today Mr Huhne will ask three appeal judges - Lord Justice Lloyd, Lord Justice Moses and Lord Justice Richards - to hear his challenge to the High Court ruling as a matter of urgency.